Seven Days In Vegas
by badboysam
Summary: Mercedes Jones is a girl with a problem. Could running off to Vegas turn out to be more of a solution than she ever could have imagined?
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello strangers!**_

_**Here's a little something something as I get back into the mood for writing. I can't believe it's been months since I was last on here and I'm finding it hard to concentrate on my other story! In the meantime, here's a little Vegas inspired offering that's going to be shorter than Familiar Faces.**_

_**Hopefully...**_

* * *

**Day One: **

**Bellagio Hotel**

"Where are we going?"

"The Chairman's Lounge."

"Where's that?"

Mercedes shrugged. "I don't know but our driver seems to know the way so just keep up!"

"But the check-in is over there…" Quinn cast her eyes over the hordes of people in the line at the multiple check in desks and sighed in relief that they didn't have to lug their bags through there. They weren't having to lug their bags anywhere as someone had magically appeared to do that for them as soon as the doors to their limo had opened. "Are you really sure…"

Mercedes just laughed and linked her arm through her friend's. "Come on, you've been telling me for years that I should lighten up and just _live_ so here I am! Stop fussing!"

"Seriously though Mercedes, what's happened? You're not a Vegas girl. You're the most bone straight serious hard working girl I know!"

"Yeah well all that's about to change!"

"Why?"

"Why? Because after twenty seven years of doing what's been expected of me I'm finally going to grow a pair and resist!"

Quinn grinned. "Do I smell rebellion in the air?"

She was met with a giggle. "Maybe just a little. That's why I'm here. That's why I need you!"

"You know you're five years too late for that now Cedes! I'm reformed! I'm now your boring married with a child rapidly heading towards thirty has-been!"

"You'll never be a has-been! Your free spirit is everything I always wanted to have!"

"So what's brought on your sudden desire to quit being the dutiful daughter? You _never _take time off just to have a break. I should know because I've been asking you to do it for years! It's worrying me! Something's really not right and you have to tell me!"

Mercedes groaned. "I'll tell you when I have alcohol in my hand!"

"Holy _shiiiit!_" Quinn stood frozen to the spot as she cast her gaze around the Bellagio Penthouse Suite. "My man would die if he saw this! You weren't lying when you said you finally took up daddy's offer to use his card!"

"I know! This is amazing isn't it!" Mercedes grabbed her by the hand, "Let's check out the bedrooms then raid the minibar!"

"Bedrooms? As in plural?"

"It's a two bed suite. We have one bed and two baths _each_!"

"You have _got_ to be shitting-"

"What good is having you as my friend if I can't spoil you? Now that you've seen the place are you sure you can only stay two nights? I can fly out your mom and the baby to join us here. There's plenty of space!"

"You know momma CeeCee hates the idea of Vegas and it's no place for a baby!"

Mercedes pushed out her bottom lip in an overdramatic pout. "But loooook at this room! I picked it specially to tempt you to stay longer. You used to do Vegas all the time! This Vegas virgin needs someone to show her the ropes! I've booked the whole week and can't do this on my own!"

"Look, I've dropped everything and come to you because you said you were going through a crisis. Mom thinks we're still in San Francisco! How irresponsible would it be for me to dump my child on my mom while I run off on a whim with my friend to Vegas. I've moved on from that kind of life!"

Even though she'd been pretending not to listen, Mercedes remained silent as she popped the cork on the champagne bottle and poured the frothing liquid into two crystal flutes before handing her one.

"Are we celebrating something? I thought you were going through something major?"

"I am!" Mercedes walked over to the couch and sank heavily into it with a sigh, barely even registering the spectacular view of the fountains from the window as she passed it. "I just need a little bit of alcohol in me before I can drop the bombshell. But for now, let's just drink to a new me!"

"A new you?"

She took a sip of her drink and smiled in approval of the quality. "Mercedes Jones is no longer daddy's little girl anymore!"

Slightly heady from the bubbles, they headed out to the front entrance to be met a limo for a tour of the strip. As they passed the hordes at the check in queue, Mercedes' attention was caught by two men at the front of one of the lines, clearly arguing with the clerk. Or rather, the guy with the lame attempt at a Mohawk was arguing, and his blond friend in a pair of well broken in faded denim jeans was trying to calm him down. The guy kept waving his hands angrily between the clerk and his blond friend who looked upset about something, but more embarrassed by his friend than anything else.

After a split second of wondering what that drama was all about she continued without even breaking her stride, hating that smoking was allowed in Vegas hotels and hoping the smell didn't cling to her too much.

"So where are we going Quinn?"

"To cruise the Strip! It's the obligatory first thing to do in Vegas!"

"I thought the first thing to do was gamble?"

"There's time for that later. It's better when you're drunk anyway!"

Mercedes wasn't so sure on that. In all honesty she wasn't keen on the idea of gambling, especially after having to dismiss an employee who had been stealing to fund his gambling addiction, knowing that he had a young family.

Thankfully a cruise on the Strip was just what she needed. It wasn't a fast cruise. There was definitely truth in the stories of bad traffic along that famous stretch or road, but there was enough alcohol in the limo to keep them happy.

"Hey look! A chapel! You should totally get married out here!"

They passed a small tacky looking chapel as the strip ended and they passed through the no-man's-land on the way to downtown and Fremont Street. Quinn turned to see if maybe her friend hadn't heard which would explain the lack of a reply, but all she saw were eyes welling up with tears. "Cedes? Cedes what is it?"

She took a ragged breath and knocked back the final mouthful from her glass. The champagne in the hotel room was definitely better than the one in the car and she wished they'd brought a bottle down with them. It would definitely make this part easier.

"I'm getting married!"

"What!" Quinn nearly knocked the glass out of her friend's hand. "Since when? And to who?"

"Leo Sanders."

"Sanders… As in Sanders Industries?"

"The very one!" Mercedes leaned forward and flicked through the miniature bottles to find the strongest spirit possible.

"But… I didn't realize you guys were back on!"

"It wasn't-"

"Wow! Okay. I always thought you said you didn't like him but I suppose the two of you have history…"

"It isn't history! It was a mistake!"

"Both times?"

Mercedes glared at her. "_Both times!_"

"Okay! Just wanted to be sure. Because I remember how you were spitting fire when all of that went down. Did your dad ever find out?"

"I guess so because this is all his idea!"

"What! I was about to congratulate you but what the hell are you talking about?"

"Daddy dearest. Apparently old man Sanders is dying-"

"He's been dying for years!"

"I know that. But apparently this time its serious. When he dies, with no sons, everything goes straight to his grandson Leo. But we both know that he doesn't have the acumen to handle the business. He just knows how to spend the money and show off."

"But you know that already! I don't understand why you've taken him back!"

"I _haven't_ taken him back. My father and his granddad want the companies to work together and corner the market but neither wants to buy the other out."

"So why don't they just merge?"

"That's the plan!"

"But what has that got to do with you?"

"Think about it Quinn…"

"Oh… merge the families, merge the companies!"

"Exactly!"

"Stuff like that doesn't happen in this day and age! Relationships don't work that way anymore!"

"I know! But they're not from this day and age! They're _old money_. They do things the way things have always been done. Deals are still made with a handshake over cigars and brandy. It's the way it's always been done and always will be done."

"And what does Leo have to say about this?"

"Nothing. He's spineless as ever. I have no idea what I ever saw in him!"

"You were on a rebound. Everyone makes mistakes."

"Yeah." Mercedes tipped the miniature of white rum into her champagne flute before adding a dash of pineapple juice.

"Don't start mixing your alcohol Cedes!"

She ignored her friend and knocked the whole concoction back, wincing as the alcohol burned on its way down. "Now do you see my crisis? I'm weeks away from a marriage of convenience to a guy I may have slept with in the past, but who I don't actually like!"

Quinn exhaled slowly as she mentally processed the whole scenario. "Yep this _definitely_ warrants a final fling in Vegas!"

* * *

**Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino, Fremont Street**

"Quinn, I officially don't like gambling!" Mercedes stared sadly as the dice landed on thirty seven red as the wheel spun and she lost yet another fifty dollars.

"And this is why I started you on a low limit table downtown. You don't even feel the amount of money you just lost but let's go anyway."

She didn't need telling twice, cutting her losses and standing, pausing for a moment for the room to stop tilting on its axis. "Quinn, I think I need to eat something to soak up this alcohol."

"Good idea. I'll book us something."

"No! I want to slum it. I love being anonymous here. I wasn't to eat something cheap and greasy served by a balding middle aged man with a paunch for a belly and formica tables and chairs which are bolted to the floor!"

"Wow! You're specific! Are you sure your stomach can handle it?"

"Since when have I ever done any of those stupid bird food diets?"

Quinn laughed. It was one thing she loved about her friend. Unlike her unruly self, Mercedes had always been obedient and conformed. The one exception was with her body. Growing up in predominantly white surroundings she was proud to stand out as different and refused to be molded into the accepted slender body shape image. Often she would turn to Quinn with a mouth full of the kind of carbs Quinn could only dream about enjoying and say 'I'm a black woman! It would be wrong not to have an ass on me!'

But the truth was, when it came to everything else, Mercedes always did what she was expected. She did well at school and excelled quickly through the ranks of her father's company on her own merit, not just because of who she was. For her to say that she was going to rebel, and actually break with her routine so that she could actually do it was definitely something of note.

As they walked out of the Golden Nugget, again passing the check in desks, Mercedes did a double take as she saw two men arguing with one of the clerks. It was the same two guys as from the Bellagio earlier. This time the hot blond in the sexy denim jeans was holding out his card while the clerk shook her head sadly and the mohawked one gestured widely. As if he could sense her looking, the blond suddenly turned and caught her eye despite the distance and the crowds. She quickly flushed and looked away, but not before noticing the way that he appreciatively appraised her body with his eyes. It wasn't in a creepy way, just a curious look that made her feel above all things, slightly flattered. Absently wondering if they were trying to pull some scam she followed her friend and the sounds of her stomach to find food.

* * *

**Luck Dip Diner, Off Fremont Street**

Grease definitely helped. She sighed as she glanced at Quinn's carb free plate of mushroom omelet with a side of crispy bacon while she tucked into her monster all day breakfast with extra fried bread.

"So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know. This trip was supposed to buy me time to work something out. I can't marry Leo. I just can't!"

"But at least he's good looking! Maybe you'll grow to love him?"

"He's arrogant, selfish and shallow. I could never be with someone like that. There's no home big enough to fit his ego!"

"Ouch! That's harsh! But you slept with him twice! Surely the sex has to be worth something?"

Mercedes spluttered. "Did I never tell you? It was _awful!_"

"Really? But he's so gorgeous!"

"Exactly. It's like he's so good looking he feels he doesn't need to make an effort in bed. It all comes back down to that arrogance. He's pretty well endowed but doesn't know what to do with it!"

"So how come you slept with him twice?"

"Alcohol! The first time enough to sleep with him and the second time enough for me to forget how bad the first time was and do it again!"

"That had to have been a lot!"

"I was on the rebound!"

"Oh yes, dark time."

"_Very_ dark time!"

Their thoughts turned to that particular disaster and they continued to eat in silence for a while until Mercedes became distracted by the animated conversation of the two men in the booth behind them. It was just getting good when Quinn suddenly grabbed her arm. "I have the perfect idea, marry Leo, but get him to cheat on your honeymoon and get it annulled!"

"The whole idea is for us to get married and _stay_ married! It's for the business. A united front and all that crap."

"Oh…" Quinn thought again as Mercedes immersed herself back into the conversation happening behind her.

"Got it!"

"Huh?" She had to pull her concentration back to her friend.

"The only way you can avoid getting married, is if you're _already married!_"

"But I'm single!"

"Yes. But _where_ are we?"

"Vegas!"

"Exactly, so…"

"Wait! So I'm just supposed to walk up to the next man I see and say 'hey we're in Vegas wanna marry me?' I thought _I_ was the one mixing champagne and spirits!"

"No, seriously, just hear me out. This is Vegas, there is no place in the world more full of desperate people. Just walk round the tables, find someone who's just lost a fortune and offer them a week's worth of marriage to clear their debt."

"A week?"

"Yeah. Just enough time for a proper contract to be drawn up and signed by the two old men to merge their companies the modern way. Then you can annul your marriage and live your life again in safety from the clutches Leo Sanderson."

"That's a stupid idea!"

"Got anything better?"

She didn't. And she'd already been mulling this over for more than a week on her own. "So basically what you're saying is you just want me to propose to the next man I set eyes on!"

"Not necessarily the next man. You can be a bit more choosy than that. Besides, you don't want it to be a creep or anything."

"At this point I don't even care I'm _that_ desperate!"

"Mercedes, don't do anything rash-"

But it was too late. The alcohol in her body made her far too bold. Both the men behind her had nice voices and they clearly were in a bit of a bind. Maybe one of them could be persuaded to help. What did she have to lose? It wasn't as if she was actually going to sleep with the guy!

Without giving it a second thought she began speaking before even turning around fully.

"Excuse me gentlemen. I couldn't help overhearing that you have a problem and I think I may have an unorthodox solution which could get us both out of a bad situation…"

Her words stopped and stuck in her throat as her eyes met those of the hot denim jeans guy and his friend…

* * *

_**Sam's POV is next. I'm purposely letting the story unravel in real time.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Lucky Dip Diner, Off Fremont Street**

"_Marry you?_"

Within seconds the girl in front of him had gone from being even better looking up close than she had been from a distance, to completely and utterly crazy. Cute or not, she was definitely certifiable!

Sam sighed and pressed on his temples in an attempt to relieve the tension headache which had been getting progressively worse throughout the day. It had already been a shitty day by all standards, and now it had descended to the point where he was actually being propositioned by some random in a diner! That Vegas would be full of crazies was expected, but to have one right up in his face like that after the kind of day he'd had was causing a complete sense of humor bypass. Especially as Miss Crazy had already been eavesdropping on his conversation!

Thankfully her pretty blond friend had some sense and was trying to drag her back down into her seat with profuse apologies.

"She's hot! I'll do it!"

Puck, his incredibly unhelpful friend never saw the seriousness of situations. It was exactly the reason why they were in this position in the first place. Who the hell goes to Vegas early and maxes out their credit before they've even checked in anyway?

"Shut up Puck you're not helping!"

But it was too late. Crazy girl had already turned back to them with hope in her eyes. Despite himself, Sam had to admit the crazy in her eyes was beginning to look a little more along the lines of innocent desperation. What the hell would possess a pretty woman to want to marry a complete stranger for only one week? It wasn't an indecent proposal, she'd made that clear, but something still didn't sit right with him. Marriage was a serious matter. Marriage in Vegas was _not _his idea of taking life seriously.

"Look lady, you seem really sweet and I'm sure you'd have to be in one hell of a pickle to think that this is your only option, but don't sell yourself out. I'm sure there's something else you can do and someone you can find who can marry you for love."

She cast him a look that was more sadness than madness. "This isn't about love. This isn't even about wanting to be in a relationship. It's purely about technicality. We do the ceremony and that's it. The bonus of me helping you out with accommodation is simply that it would be easier to find you at the end of the week to get this annulled. Then we can go back to our respective lives with no damage done."

Puck leaned forward and indicated between him and Sam. "And even if you marry one of us, we'll both have somewhere to stay?"

"We have a suite. You can have one side of it and sort out the sleeping arrangements as you want."

"I'm not sure if that's safe-"

Miss Crazy glared at her friend for voicing her concern aloud. Sure it had occurred to her too, but she wasn't going to just say it like that. "You and me will be sharing together and the door locks. Just think of it as adjoining rooms with living space in between."

The blond looked unconvinced but Sam could see that the ideas rolling too fast through Miss Crazy's mind for her to be giving them any true thought. It took her friend to pull her forward across the table to get her full attention again. "And what about when I'm gone? I'm not leaving you alone with two guys!"

"So stay!"

"I have a family to get back to!"

They glared at each other, clearly at an impasse until Miss Crazy began to chuckle.

"What's so funny?"

"_This!_ All these years I've been the sensible one and suddenly it's a complete role reversal!"

"Crazy as I was, I would never have actually married a stranger!"

"But it was your idea!"

"A _suggestion!_ I was thinking out loud! You weren't supposed to turn right around and proposition the nearest breathing males!"

"You've done so many crazy things in your life Quinn. Why won't you let me have my chance?"

"Because you're better than that! Your idea of crazy is having a couple of drinks too many or trying a different color in your hair! Even when we were in college you thought that revising for three hours instead of six was the worst possible thing in the world that you could do!"

"But _you_ had fun!"

"I also ended up in rehab! There's things you can do without being drastic!"

"But that's just it. I _have _to do something drastic or I won't be taken seriously. If daddy sees me doing this he knows I won't get sucked into his plan. All my life I've been too nice to say no. It ends today. It ends _right now!_"

Sam smiled. They weren't keeping their voices down and he could hear every word. The two pretty women in the next booth were at the very least, incredibly entertaining. For a second it actually drowned out his own problems.

Pucked nudged him with a smile. "She sounds like a female version of you! If I can hang out with you for years I can hang out with her for a week!"

"Don't even think about it!" For some unexplained reason, the thought of Puck actually taking up the offer made him angry. "Stop trying to take advantage!"

"Take advantage of what? She's clearly in some sort of a bind. We're here for ten days by which time this would all be annulled and over. In the meantime, for a few words in front of Elvis, we get to stay in a suite instead of- where was it you booked us for tonight?"

Sam twiddled his thumbs sadly. "It's a toss-up between the Golden Gate or the Sin City Hostel."

"I already told you I ain't doing a hostel. Bedbugs be damned I'm staying in a proper downtown hotel. We'll just think of this as part of the adventure."

"Adventure? I thought this trip was supposed to be cheering _me_ up?"

"It took you three months to actually make it here! Your heart should be healed by now! It's not like that bitch was ever actually going to marry you!"

Sam simply glared at his friend but said nothing.

"Come on! You're the one who's always up for helping a damsel in distress! We get to help someone out and receive free accommodation to boot… did you not hear the word _suite_ mentioned? And we'll be hanging out with two _hot_ babes. You never know, the suite might not be the only thing we all end up sharing!"

"Puck! She said it wasn't like that and I believe her. I just think that marriage is a big deal. Maybe she's into something illegal or needs papers. We can't be too careful!"

"So ask!"

"I can't just-"

"Hey-" Puck stood and made his way closer to where the two women had stopped their argument and started staring back at him. "Just out of interest, this sudden request wouldn't be coming because of any kind on illegal or potentially dangerous behavior would it?"

Sam facepalmed at his friend's lack of subtlety and the two women rapidly shook their heads. "Nooooo! No no no! This is just me being rebellious. I just want to stick it to my dad for thinking he can interfere in my life. I'm way too old for him to be trying to take control."

"So they why don't you just pretend to get married? You can do the ceremony without actually getting a license."

"I know. But… let's just say he's the kind of man that would actually check."

"But why is it so important?"

She sighed and looked more sad than crazy. "Because otherwise I'll end up marrying someone I don't want to marry!"

Sam finally joined the conversation. "So just say no! Women seem to have no problem saying no to marriage proposals in my experience."

Even he was stunned at the amount of bitterness that dripped from his voice and there was silence as all three stopped speaking and stared at him. Rapidly reddening he turned back around and took a long slurp of his shake, wishing there was really such a thing as a cloak of invisibility.

Puck simply shrugged. "Don't mind my friend Mr Skeptical here. His bark is worse than his bite and he's nursing a broken heart like a bear with a sore head. But I, on the other hand have never been able to resist helping a damsel in distress, especially if it serves to help us get out of the little accommodation problem we seem to be facing! After all, it's only for a week then we straighten it all out again before we leave. Annulment meant the slate is totally wiped clean. 'What Happens In Vegas…' right?"

Sam's head snapped back as he heard his friend's words and tried in vain to interrupt him.

"So you'll do it?"

The hope and excitement in the woman's eyes touched Sam's heart more than he cared to admit.

"Cedes! Think carefully-"

Sam had to credit her friend with being the sensible one even if this crazy idea had been hers in the first place.

"Quinn, what if I was to change my reason and say I just want to do this because I've always wanted to get married in Vegas! It's on my list of things to do before I'm thirty and this might be my only visit and my only chance!"

Puck simply smiled. "Sounds like an honest enough reason to me!" He held out his hand to her, "Noah Puckerman at your service ma'am! But please call me Puck. Everyone else does!"

She took the hand with a smile that was so stunning it nearly blinded both men. "I'm Mercedes. Mercedes Jones. But I'll be keeping my name if that's okay with you?"

"That's fine with me sweetheart. I totally understand this is a flash in the pan thing and we'll wipe the slate clean at the end of the week."

She waved over to the scowling blond. "This is my best friend Quinn. She's here to teach me how to be crazy without going too far."

Sam was busy scoffing at that statement when Puck pointed to him. "That lump over there is my best friend. He's called Sam and he's a boring old man!" He scowled at his friend but took the small soft hand that was offered and found himself reluctant to let it go.

She smiled as she spoke to him. "Please don't worry about your friend. He's just doing me a good deed. And I promise to make it worthwhile for both of you." Her eyes widened in mortification when she realized how her words had come out. "I mean- not in a dodgy way. I just meant that you can tag along with us until your funds come through. I'm not having sex- I mean I didn't come to Vegas to have sex- Oh shit I'm just going to shut up now before I embarrass myself even more!"

Sam smiled at her being flustered and noticed that they hadn't let go of each other's hand throughout the whole speech. The moment she noticed she snatched her hand back and cleared her throat nervously. "So, um…." Turning back to Puck she addressed him directly, "So how do you want to do this?"

"I don't mind. We're the homeless bums at the moment so we're pretty much at your mercy!"

"Yes! You're right! How about we grab your things, bring them to our hotel then go sort out the marriage licenses!"

"Sounds fine to me... Ah, but our bags are on The Strip. We arrived at 9am and checked them in at the Bellagio where we were supposed to be staying. When we left we figured as we'd tipped to leave them they could stay there until we sorted out another place for the rest of this trip."

"That's perfect. We're staying at the Bellagio too!"

"Wait! You have a _suite _in the Bellagio?"

Mercedes looked sheepish. "Well… I'm not the one paying for it!"

Sam opened his mouth to ask a question but was interrupted by Quinn who was looking at her watch. "Hate to interrupt guys, but as it seems like this is definitely happening, I just wanted to let you know that the Marriage Bureau shuts in an hour. If we go back up Strip to get the guys settled in the room we'd never get the licenses done today."

"It can wait until tomorrow."

"I suppose so. But the Bureau's only two blocks from here so we could do it _before _going back to the hotel, then once you have the paperwork you can sort out the rest whenever you're ready! And if you don't go through with it just destroy them."

"How do you even know that Quinn?"

"I have a past. You know that! Vegas and I go way back!"

Puck looked suitably impressed while Sam looked at her with suspicion. This was his first visit to Vegas too and he knew there were places he didn't want to find himself ending up by accident.

"I say let's sort out the paperwork then go back and talk through the final details. Getting the license doesn't mean we're actually married yet."

For once Puck spoke sense and they paid up and made their way out of the diner.

"This way!" Quinn didn't even need to get her bearings before she led the way.

* * *

**Marriage License Bureau, Downtown Las Vegas**

"It's not too late to back out!" Sam hissed to his friend as they were stood in line, the women in front, deep within their own conversation.

"Why would I back out? I like that we can stick it to the Bellagio by going back and freeloading on one of their suites after the way they treated you!"

Sam thought back to the events of the day with a sigh. It had been a complete nightmare. As they'd arrived early they didn't bother trying to check in at the desk. They'd simply handed over their bags before warming up on the slots then hitting the tables. By the time they'd come to check in, Puck had stupidly put his money where his big mouth was and had maxed out his credit card with losses. After standing in line for what felt like an age, Sam handed over his paperwork and card only to be told that the special rate offer that he thought he'd booked was no longer valid and they were being charged a rate that was nearly double _without_ the free buffet or the room credit.

Unfortunately for him the clerk had already swiped his card. It was only after cutting their losses, cancelling the room and heading downtown for a cheaper hotel that he discovered his card was no longer working. The reason? Once his card had been swiped at the Bellagio, they'd put a hold on it for the entire 10 night stay and now there wasn't enough credit free to pay for the new room. Arguments with both the Bellagio and his bank were futile. The hold would take several days to be released and until that happened, his card would be unusable, even though he had sufficient credit and was no longer staying at the Bellagio.

He'd been fuming and it took a lot to make him lose it. Just at the point when he'd felt the shift between mortification and anger he'd looked up and caught the eye of one of the most gorgeous women he had ever seen. Her friend had caught his attention first. She looked a lot like his ex and he had sworn he would never go for a typical classic woman like her again. He'd done it all his life and it had got him nowhere. Her friend on the other hand, was everything she wasn't, short to her tall, dark to her pale, curvy to her slender, smiley to her serious. She couldn't have been further removed from what he usually went for and yet he loved every inch of what he saw. Sneaking what he thought was a discreet second look he'd found her staring right back at him, but instead of looking away he'd chosen to smile. She was just a pretty girl in a crowd who he was never going to see again so he decided to drink her in and appreciate her as the momentary distraction that she was from the second shitty argument they were having with a hotel clerk that day.

And now, somehow he was stood in line, pretending that he wasn't stealing discrete glances at her ass in what could only be designer jeans while they waited to get licenses for her to marry his best friend. Where was the justice in that?

Sure the Bellagio had it coming, but this was going a bit far wasn't it?

"I bet she's really good in bed!"

"She's not going to sleep with you!" Sam didn't know why he said it with such conviction but somehow he knew that it was going to be true, despite his friend being a real ladies man.

"Maybe not. But her friend might. Two hotties and one week! At least one of them will be giving the Puckasaurus sugar by the end of it, just watch me!"

"So you didn't notice the wedding ring on Quinn's hand?"

"Ring?" Clearly he hadn't. "I don't see any husband here right now. And remember, 'What Happens In Vegas…'"

"Stop saying that!"

"This is the perfect opportunity Sam. We get luxury accommodation and we get to hang out with two gorgeous girls. I can't wait to put this up on Facebook! There's definitely going to be selfies of me and the 'wife' going up soon!"

"Puck, marriage isn't a game. You ask someone to marry them because you see yourself spending the rest of your life with them, not because you're in a bind, and _definitely _not because you want a hotel room."

The response was a slightly patronizing smile. "Sam you seriously need to lighten up! This is _not_ a normal situation. Nothing that happens in this city is a normal situation! You can't apply regular rules to the one place that's the greatest exception!"

"I know, but-"

"But nothing Sam. I swear you're my friend because we're chalk and cheese and we balance each other out. But this time I don't get it. Usually you're all over yourself to help a woman out."

"I'm not saying Mercedes doesn't need help, I'm just saying that this isn't the right way to do it! And Quinn agrees with me!"

"Quinn sounds like she's made more than her fair share of Vegas mistakes. It's her friend's turn now. She'll be able to tell her grandkids that she got married in Vegas. How many sensible women have that tale to tell?"

"Not everyone is proud to act like that."

"Yeah, well then it's a good job I'm here to do the right thing by her. I have the feeling she's desperate enough to ask a complete psycho if she's not careful. Better us than anyone else eh!"

At least that was something Sam could agree with. "Better us than anyone else!"

"NEXT!"

Finally they'd made it to the front after waiting in line for nearly half an hour. It seemed like the whole of Vegas knew the Marriage Bureau was closing and was trying to get in before the doors were shut. Mercedes and Puck stepped forward to the woman behind the screen while Sam and Quinn stood back and watched.

"I can't believe she's actually going through with this!" Quinn cast an anxious stare at her friend who was speaking to the woman through the glass.

"I can't believe Puck's going through with this either. He's generally not the kind of guy who 'follows through' on things once the novelty's worn off."

"Hmmm…"

"But he's not dangerous either."

Quinn turned and watched them carefully as they stood filling out forms. "I know. I have a sixth sense around guys and if you two had made me anxious in any way I would have dragged her away already."

"You're a good friend."

"She's been a good friend to me. Better than I deserved for a long time. She put herself on the line for me over and over so if she says she's in a crisis I drop everything and I come. I wouldn't have the normal life I have now if it wasn't for her."

"So she must be in a real crisis to be doing this!"

"Mercedes has always been the level headed one in all the years I've known her. The only time I've seen her act out was when she was feeling trapped. She's clearly feeling _very _trapped right now and is trying to find her own way out of it without hurting anyone."

"FUCK!"

They turned from their conversation to see Puck madly emptying all his pockets with an expression of pure panic. "Sam! Sam have you seen my wallet?"

"No-"

"Sir, you have to produce a valid form of ID or I cannot issue the license and will have to call the next person in line." The woman sounded like a stuck record and there was not an ounce of compassion or sympathy in her voice for the man's panic. Mercedes looked petrified and tears started to stream down her face. "Oh lord! Please find it!"

Puck was beginning to shake. "We have to call the police!"

Sam touched his arm. "Think Puck, where did you last see it?"

He stopped for a second. "At the Bellagio. I put it on the front desk when we tried to put half the rooms on my card."

"And what pocket did you put it back in?"

Puck frowned. "I don't remember taking it back. Do you think the clerk took it?"

Sam shook his head. "No. They have cameras. They would have kept it for you."

"I don't know, maybe I should tell the police."

"We're going straight to the Bellagio after this. Let's just ask when we get there and if they don't have it then we'll report it-"

"Sir! If you can't produce ID then stand aside and stop holding up the line!"

Sam glared daggers at her complete lack of sympathy. He cast a look at Mercedes who looked broken with Quinn attempting to console her. Her shattered expression hit him right in the gut and he thought about Puck's words of how it was better that they were the ones doing this than anyone else.

Going against all his better judgment he made a decision that he just knew he was going to regret. Pulling out his wallet he produced his driver's license and shoved it in front of the cantankerous woman behind the glass screen.

"Give me a form, I want to apply for a marriage license…"


	3. Chapter 3

**Bellagio Hotel**

The taxi ride back to the hotel had been quietly intense. Understandably, Puck could think of nothing beyond the anxiety of his missing wallet. Quinn had been texting intently, Mercedes stared out of the window, refusing to look at anyone and Sam sat mentally banging his head against an imaginary wall for acting so impulsively stupid. As soon as the words were out of his mouth he'd regretted them but the bitch behind the screen had instantly taken his identification and started to process it.

When it had come to paying for the license they'd almost come to blows. Mercedes had insisted that all costs incurred by the wedding would be covered by her because it was her idea. The cutting looks from the clerk and the increasing anxiety of the line behind him, as well as the knowledge that there was only just shy of a hundred dollars of available credit on his card until the hold got released finally made him concede, although it made him feel like shit to do it.

He stole another glance at Mercedes and decided that he was pretty sure that she was silently crying. Was she feeling as bad about this as he was? It was a pragmatic decision. He was standing in for his friend, helping a damsel in distress and getting them free accommodation. So why did it sit so badly with him?

Maybe because it went against everything he was and believed in, right down to his upbringing that a woman shouldn't have to pay when there was someone taking care of her.

By the time they pulled up to the Bellagio she seemed to have pulled herself together, and after casting him a searching look decided not to fight him on who should pay for the cab.

The second walk into the hotel was much faster than the first as Puck raced ahead to find the clerk from earlier. The place was now heaving with the evening arrivals and the lines were twice as long. He groaned with fury when he noticed the longest line was the one where the same clerk was yet again engaged in an argument with someone. As if reading him mind, Mercedes grabbed his arm to stop him pushing his way through the line.

"If it was handed it in wouldn't still be behind the desk. We'll ask the concierge desk. It's faster."

They followed her, Puck with eyes flaming and ready for battle, but as they walked she pulled out her phone and made a quick call out of earshot. By the time they reached the desk the staff were prepped. Before he could open his mouth and launch into them, Puck was met with a smile and a, "Mr Noah Puckerman?"

The acknowledgement completely blew the wind out of his sails and he simply nodded.

The male clerk compared the scanned copy of his DL photo with the man in front of him before ripping it off the padded Bellagio envelope in his hand and passing it to him. "I believe this belongs to you sir."

Puck glared at him, snatching the envelope and ripping it open before heaving a sigh of relief as he checked his wallet, with all contents still in place. Feeling ashamed at the way he'd been about to behave he nodded at the man and muttered his thanks.

"It's our pleasure sir."

They turned to leave and only Sam spotted the way that Mercedes discretely slipped a bill to the man when she thought nobody else was looking. Puck would never even have thought about it. Then again, Puck had never used concierge services either. He was quietly impressed with the way that Mercedes had handled the situation.

"The elevator is this way. We'll get your bags sent up."

They followed her to a private elevator and marveled at the luxury interior. This was already way better than any standard room they would have had at the hotel.

"Holy shit…" Puck's jaw dropped as they opened the door and stepped through into the suite. Sam kept his curses in his mouth but felt equally as stunned as he took in all the space around him. "Sam, that couch is bigger than your entire apartment!"

It was a slight exaggeration but not really that far off.

Mercedes simply shot them both a nervous look as if she was suddenly regretting allowing two strange men into their suite. But the licenses were purchased and it was already a done deal. "Okay so the basic guided tour goes like this. To the right immediately through the front door is the guest bathroom-"

"Sam this place is _the shit_! Have you seen this bar?"

Puck's voice came from behind them, obviously doing a tour of his own. Sam found him opening the fridge below the wet bar and gasping in wonderment at all the items inside it.

"Is this stuff all included?"

"I asked for a fully stocked bar," said Mercedes before continuing what she was saying. "The guest bathroom probably won't get used though. To the right is my room. I'll be sharing it with Quinn from now on and it's off limits for you both. We're letting you stay here but you have to respect our space or you're out."

Her voice meant business and Sam nodded. Puck simply smirked until Sam poked him in the ribs with his elbow causing him to mutter, "Sure, whatever you say."

Quinn narrowed her eyes at him. "It _is _what she says. That door locks and Mercedes and I are both experts in self-defense. If you try anything you'll end up wishing we'd called the police instead!" There was a cold steel in Quinn's eyes that told him that not only was this not an idle threat, but that Quinn had probably already used her self-defense skills successfully on more than one occasion.

Sam walked to one of the huge windows and looked out onto the view of the fountains and the strip. "This room is amazing. It must have cost you a fortune."

"It didn't cost me anything because I didn't buy it!"

Something about that didn't sit well with him. "So who pays for someone else to have a penthouse suite in Vegas?"

"A person with more money than sense who thinks the world of me." She turned her back to him to continue with the tour. "Anyway, the controls for the curtains are here. We have a six seater table where I propose we sit and discuss our next move. There's also a desk and chair although I know you guys aren't in Vegas for working. And finally through here is your bedroom."

She led them into another huge room with two queen beds and another huge window with the amazing view. "As you can see once Quinn moves her stuff out of here you'll have a bed each and you also have en en-suite bathroom each. I'll let you decide who gets the 'his' and who gets 'hers'."

"I'll take this one!" Before Sam could even open his mouth, Puck immediately went into the 'his' bathroom and pulled the robe from the closet, impressed.

Mercedes smiled and winked at Sam. "That means he gets the shower and you get the jetted bathtub!"

"Hey!" Suddenly he spotted the error of his haste.

"Hey yourself Puck! You were quick to choose so stick with your own bathroom and don't even think about trying to get your sweaty ass into my tub!"

Puck simply scowled back at him before turning back to Mercedes. "So are we allowed to touch the stuff in the minibar?"

"Sure."

He turned to Sam with a grin. "Want anything?"

He shook his head, feeling slightly sick with the feeling of being overwhelmed by the events over the last couple of hours.

"Ladies?"

Mercedes had had enough of alcohol for the moment but Quinn followed him looking for more of the champagne.

It was an awkward silence when they realized they were alone in the bedroom together. Sam had to break the ice. "This suite – it's more than I ever could have imagined."

"And to think you guys were going to be spending tonight in some hole…"

He looked at her seriously. "You don't have to do this you know."

"This is nothing compared to the good deed you're doing for me. You will still go through with it won't you?"

The fear was back in her eyes and it made him realize how much power he had in this. "I gave my word. Puck missed out on the opportunity but if all I have to do is say some vows and get them undone a week later I think I can manage that to stop a pretty girl from crying."

She averted her eyes at the compliment. "Yeah. I'm sorry for that meltdown at the Marriage Bureau. I guess it was just shock and frustration coming out all at once. The alcohol had worn off and the idea of approaching another complete stranger with the same proposition wasn't so appealing in the cold light of day."

"You were crying in the cab on the way here too. Were you having second thoughts?"

"Are _you_ having second thoughts?"

Worry flitted over her face and Sam felt the overwhelming urge to reassure her despite his genuine doubts. "You've honored your side of the bargain and brought us here. I won't go back on mine."

She looked relieved. "Thank you Sam. I'll leave you to your room now."

"Wait!"

It was fun watching her turn and walk away but there were still things that he needed to know. "This suite- is it being paid for by the fiancée that you're trying to avoid?"

Mercedes cast him a relieved smile. "No. It's not the kind of relationship where he'll turn up unexpected and jealous. I doubt he wants this marriage any more than I do."

"So this place. Are _you_ rich? Is that it?"

She shook her head. "No. I wouldn't say I'm rich. I work for a living just like everyone else. This place is just a treat."

"A treat? From who?" He knew it was wrong of him to keep pushing but something wasn't quite sitting right with him.

"From family. Extended family if you wish."

His eyebrow arched. "You're not related to the mob are you?"

She tilted her head back and laughed. It was one of the most pleasant sounds he'd ever heard. "So you have jokes? I like that! Definitely no mob or gang connections." She leaned against the doorframe and carried on smiling at him. "That being said, shouldn't I be asking the same of you? Criminal record? Already married? Any recent history of severe mental illness in the family?"

"Nope, nope and no not unless you include my totally out of character decision to marry a random stranger."

"Well hopefully I won't be a stranger soon." She bit her bottom lip and frowned. "I mean- not in a dodgy way, but that we'll have to get to know each other now we're living together- shit! Why I do always get stupidness flying out of my mouth around you?"

He smiled back at her, enjoying her nervousness because it made her even prettier. "I don't know. I didn't think I was an intimidating person."

"You're not. It's just – I don't know, I think maybe it's just me. Anyway, we have a wedding to plan! Do you have any preferences?"

Sam thought back to everything he thought his wedding would be then remembered the pain of the moment when he'd realized that was never going to happen. His lips narrowed slightly. "No. But I still want to contribute somethi-"

"No! I told you, everything to do with the wedding is me and me alone. You didn't come out here with the intention of spending money getting married and you're not going to go back in debt because of it. Like many women I have a wedding fund and I'm happy to use it. I just need you to be there and say 'I do'."

"But-"

"But nothing Sam. Please let me do this!"

"Weddings are expensive!"

"This is Vegas. You can find packages for next to nothing for random drunks who decide they want to get married as 2am. We can do the whole thing the fraction of the cost of one night in this suite. And as I'm already on a freeloading holiday I think I should be allowed to trump up for something!"

He went to argue but saw the iron will in her eyes and decided to back off. He liked the feistiness in her. "Okay. I'll let you choose whatever you like. I have no strong preferences. We can even get married by Elvis if you like."

She smiled again. "We could, but my dad needs to see the video and take it seriously so it needs to look real."

"Traditional is fine with me."

"That's great." She paused, "You know, I'm happier knowing I'm going to be doing this with you rather than your friend."

"Why? Puck likes to come across as an idiot but deep down he's a nice guy."

"Oh I know that. My reasons were much more shallow."

"Really? Please share!"

She giggled. "It's his hair! I was telling Quinn in the line at the Marriage Bureau that I was going to have to get him to wear a fedora or something for the ceremony because it would never be taken seriously with him looking like that!"

"That mess is nothing!" laughed Sam, "You should have seen some of the real hair disasters he's sported over the years!"

"I bet they had to have been something!"

They walked out into the living area still laughing and walked towards Quinn who was shooting daggers at a grinning Puck. Unfazed by her glare he nodded at Sam. "I see you're not wasting any time to be alone in the bedroom with your intended. Are you sure you guys don't want to do a room swap? I have no problem with Quinn bunking in with me. She definitely smells better!"

Somehow Puck was immune to all discrete attempts to rein in his mouth but Quinn was unfazed. "I would rather sleep on the street than share a room with you and that poor dead creature that's found its final resting place down the middle of your head!"

Puck reddened as Mercedes sniggered and Sam didn't even bother to fight back the smile that spread across his lips. It served his friend right. Never one to be bettered, Puck straightened his spine and grinned back at her. "Feisty! I like that in a woman!"

"So does her _husband!_" remarked Mercedes cooly.

"Yeah? And where is this husband of yours? Not in Vegas!"

Quinn shot him another icy stare. "No he's not in Vegas. He's somewhere equally as hot, fighting for his country. I'm sure when he gets back and I tell him and his friends all about you they'll have plenty to say when they pay you a visit!"

Sam decided that despite her unfortunate resemblance to his ex, he really liked Quinn, and knew that she was more than capable of handling his friend.

Puck's smirk was a little more strained this time and he busied himself with opening another beer. The knock on the door signaling the arrival of their bags was a welcome relief and they spent time unpacking while Mercedes and Quinn made phone calls.

"You know, if it wasn't for my wallet I would have Miss Friendly rather than Miss Frosty!"

"I think you'll find that's Mrs Married! And I think I did Mercedes a favor by rescuing her from your clutches!"

"Hey, I was the one who agreed to marry her while you were still being grumpy!"

"Yeah? Well I saw her first!"

"We saw her at the same time!"

"No. Actually I saw her from a distance while we were in the Golden Nugget."

"You sly dog! Why didn't you say anything? Are you going to go for it?"

"I'm not going to go for anything! It's not like that! And besides, I'm not looking for anything outside of formality and neither is she."

"But she's hot and you need to get back out there! You've had your obligatory three months of mourning. Now you can officially say you're single and ready to mingle!"

"And you need to butt out and keep away from her married friend!"

Puck glared at him then took his toiletries to put in his bathroom before deciding to stay in there and try out the shower.

Eventually there was a soft tap on the door and Sam opened it to see Mercedes, phone in hand. "Sam, can I have a quick word?"

"Sure!"

Glad that Puck wasn't there to make a smart comment he stepped out and they both took a seat on the ridiculously long couch. "It's already getting late and I've rung a few places about weddings but they're starting to close. I know that if we go off strip and on the dark road towards downtown we can find chapels that do weddings all night, but I have to be honest and say I don't really want it to be as tacky as that."

"Okay. I agree. So what do you think we should do?"

"Is it okay to wait until tomorrow? Your friend says you're here for ten days and I can extend my week by another day. There's a place I've found called Sweetheart's wedding chapel and they have a cancellation tomorrow at two. I can book us a complete package that includes the ceremony, flowers and even a tux and shoes for you!"

It hadn't even occurred to Sam that he'd brought nothing with him that was suitable to get married in and was glad for her thoughtfulness. "I think that's a good idea. I don't have anything to wear for the ceremony. And we can take tonight to hang out so we won't be complete strangers by the time we do this tomorrow."

She shot him a relieved smile. "Thanks for understanding. I'll call them back right now."

He stayed with her while she made the call then smiled at her when she hung up. "All done?"

"Yep. The Sweetheart wedding package is all booked. That was scarily easy!"

She reached out for something on the table. "Before I forget, these are for you and your friend."

Sam took the Bellagio envelope and found two key cards inside. "So I guess we're not freeloading after all."

"No." She shook her head. "I couldn't do that. You can let your friend think it if you want, but I'm too honest to be able to do that in good conscience. Besides, they need to know how many are in the room for fire regulations."

Sam laughed and she eyed him. "Are you mocking me?"

"No. It's just that's how I would think as well. Puck says I'm sensible and boring but I just like to do things right."

"So do I! I guess that's why this is all such a big leap for me. Although I suppose it's good to take a step out of your comfort zone sometimes."

"Step? I think this is a giant leap. For both of us."

"I suppose it is. Thank you for coming on this journey with me."

"And thanks for the first class accommodation. I promise Puck and I won't murder you in your beds."

The wry smile returned. "I know you won't!"

Puck walked out of the room and spied them on the sofa together. "Well this looks cozy!"

"We're wedding planning! Get your head out of the gutter!"

"Just saying… But anyway, I was coming out to see what you wanted to do tonight. The night is young and this isVegas Baby!"

Quinn chose that moment to step out of the master bedroom. "Did someone say going out?" She'd changed from her jeans into a short denim dress that didn't look cheap.

Sam turned to Mercedes. "Are you hungry? We could all go eat some place and find out more about each other."

She shrugged. "I ate so much in the diner, I'm not really hungry anymore."

"Me either." Quinn rubbed her nonexistent belly.

"Well I'm starved." Puck shot Quinn a look that said his hunger wasn't only for food.

Cutting her eyes at him she turned to Sam. "What about you?"

"I could eat, but maybe we could find somewhere with a bar that does food for those who are hungry and just drinks for those who aren't."

"Sounds like a plan!" Puck slapped his thigh. "Preferably one with strippers and dancing on the bar."

Quinn glared back at him. "I know a place. No strippers but definitely bar dancing and generous drinks!"

"I'm there!"

* * *

**Coyote Gorgeous: Off Strip**

Mercedes followed her friend as she walked through the front doors of the noisy bar. "How do you know about this place anyway?"

"I worked here when I lived in Vegas!"

"Part of those missing six months?"

"Yeah." Quinn looked around before heading straight to the bar.

Puck followed her and Sam let Mercedes go before him so that he could bring up the rear. He watched as Quinn expertly pushed her way to the front and had a short conversation with the bartender who then disappeared. She returned moments later with an older, extremely short blond who squealed, literally leaped over the bar and pulled Quinn into the tightest hug he'd ever seen before proceeding to have the world's fastest conversation known to man without pausing for breath. He shot a questioning look at Mercedes who simply shrugged and watched the interchange with great interest. Puck wasn't interested in the conversation. His focus was more on the scantily clad dancers situated around the bar.

The conversation lasted for several minutes, pausing only when Quinn turned to point them all out to the mysterious woman from behind the bar. Finally Quinn turned to him. "What are you drinking? All drinks are on the house courtesy of my beautiful friend April who now runs this place." He quickly asked for a couple of beers and a mixer for Mercedes. "April's going to set you three up with a table in the corner so you can have some food then back to the bar for some real Vegas hospitality! I know once Cedes sees the food she'll decide she has enough room to eat."

Before he had a chance to respond, a waitress appeared and led them to a quieter area and set them up with a table for three. Puck had disappeared but Sam assured her that he would materialize once food appeared. She looked surprised when he pulled out her seat for her but it was second nature to him to behave like that.

He had to lean closer to her in order to speak but it wasn't a hardship. Especially as she smelled great and had changed into a top with slashes across the upper part of her bust revealing little streaks of tantalizing cleavage. "So what was all that about?"

Mercedes shrugged again. "I'll get all the details from Quinn later because I couldn't hear everything, but the gist of it was that April Rhodes, the tiny blond, used to be a dancer here at the same time as Quinn worked here. Until today I didn't even know Quinn danced in Vegas but it says a lot that I'm not even surprised. Anyway, she's quite a bit older and was about to give it up just after Quinn started. Then she got lucky and started dating a wealthy regular who used to come in and watch her dance. Now they've married and bought the place completely when the owners decided to sell up. April's worked here for fifteen years and knows the place better than anyone else. Plus she was getting tired of dancing and prefers to be behind the bar rather than on top of it but apparently she still occasionally busts it out on the bar for one song every once in a while."

"That has to be a sight to see. She's so tiny!"

"I know! She might even be shorter than me!"

"You're a cute height though!"

Mercedes smiled shyly and looked away just as a waitress came over with a huge platter piled high with ribs, wings, onion rings, and fries, placing it in the center of the table.

"I was hoping that might be for us!"

Puck grabbed a couple of fries as he pulled out the remaining seat and landed heavily into it with a contented sigh. Sam shot Mercedes a look that said 'I told you so' at his magic timing and she grinned back.

"So what kind of _in_ jokes are you guys already sharing?"

Mercedes focused her grin on him. "Nothing that isn't at your expense!"

He glared back at her. Puck wasn't used to women biting back and these two from today were enjoying it far too much! "Ah well, at least Sam and I will get to do justice to this food."

"Why? You think I can't eat my fair share?"

"Can you?"

"I didn't get these curves from eating salad! Not only can I eat my fair share of these, but as we're not in polite company –no offense Sam- I can completely clean my bones, not leave them on the side of the plate with half the meat still on like white people do!"

Puck laughed. "Really?"

Mercedes narrowed her eyes and grabbed the nearest wing before biting into it. "Just watch me!"

* * *

_**Thanks for reading and all the faves and follows. I will start responding to reviews soon. I know I haven't been as good with that as I was on Familiar Faces but I promise to try.**_

**_If you want to see what the Bellagio suite looks like, just go to Youtube and add the following _**/watch?v=hQmlwEC3zgU **_to see a tour of one. There were actually much nicer suites at other newer Vegas hotels but I'd started with the Bellagio so I'm sticking with it now._**

**_The wedding was going to be this chapter but it got too long so it'll be the next one for sure…_**


	4. Chapter 4

**Day Two: Bellagio Hotel Suite**

Mercedes opened her eyes to bright sunlight. Somehow both she and Quinn had forgotten to close the curtains before they'd passed out in the bed. She lay still for a moment and listened to the gentle snores of her friend. It only happened when she was in a deep sleep. It was rare for Quinn to have alcohol these days and the effects hit her much faster than they used to.

The full extent of the reality of Mercedes' situation took a moment to sink in. She wasn't in her own bed. She was in a suite, in Vegas. And…

_Oh shit she was getting married today!_

She gasped loudly and sat bolt upright. Quinn groaned and grabbed her pillow tightly, muttering, "Yes sweetie, mommy's coming in a just a second." Then she too gasped, her own realization that she wasn't at home finally jolting her awake too. She eyed the room suspiciously. "Vegas right?"

Mercedes nodded. "Uh huh!"

There was a deep groan that resembled pain. "Oh boy. Good things never happen in Vegas!"

"Don't I know it!"

Quinn's nose scrunched as the relief at her lack of a hangover passed and the previous day's events slowly came back to her. She'd made a stupid suggestion while attempting to console her best friend and now it was all moving too fast. "Are you really going to go through with this Cedes?"

She released a long slow breath before she replied. "I can't think of any other way out."

Quinn groaned then pulled herself up onto her elbows to face her friend. "Time for honesty. I really regret the moment I made the suggestion, but as your best friend and having observed Sam last night, I'll stand by you on this. The only condition is that we need to have a decent breakfast first because I didn't get a look in on that platter last night. What time is it?"

"Nearly ten!"

"Shit! BamBam's been up for hours!" She reached for her iPad. "We need to have some face time. It's only been one night but I miss the way my baby smells!"

Mercedes smiled. Quinn's son was the cutest, and with his mop of fine blond hair that he refused to let anyone touch, he definitely _did_ resemble the little trouble maker from The Flintstones. At nearly two years old, he was mischievously into everything and brandished the word 'no' like a lethal weapon.

She was pulled out of the thoughts by her friend who was talking as she switched on her tablet. "Okay, so the plan for today is shower, then food, then dress shopping. Right?"

"Right." Mercedes played with her fingers. She knew it was snobby but she really couldn't bear the thought of wearing a hired wedding dress. Especially one in a place with a high turnover like Vegas. Plus being so short and busty, she doubted they would have something that she liked which would also be appropriate for the occasion. Thankfully the chapel was near the shopping mall and she hoped to find something suitable there. Not a full on wedding dress, because somehow it seemed offensive to pull off this mockery fully dressed for the part, but there had to be something pretty in white or ivory, or even a pastel color that would do the trick. With a sigh she decided to change the subject. "I wonder how the guys got on with their room last night."

"They probably trashed it."

"Sam wouldn't do that."

Quinn gave her a hard look and clearly chose not to say the words that were about to fall out of her mouth for fear of winding up her friend but Mercedes didn't miss the unspoken intimation. "No _Sam_ wouldn't. But Puck had a skin full so I just hope he made it to the bathroom fast enough if he had to get up in the night!"

"Puck's just full of hot air. Just don't let him bother you."

"I don't. He just likes to think that he can try it on, but one day I'll react and scare the shit out of his self-confident arrogant asshole behavior."

"Careful Quinn. Sounds like you're starting to warm to him!"

Her friend laughed as Mercedes stretched until her back clicked and finally dragged herself from the bed, needing the bathroom and wanting to be freshened up before leaving the room in case the guys were up.

The strong jets of water were invigorating and she tried not to smile to herself as she thought of the night before. They'd all had a really good time. After overindulging in the food, they'd returned to the bar in time to see Quinn and April reprise one of their numbers from the old days to raucous shouts and rapturous applause. Quinn was an amazing dancer and April moved incredibly well for her age. They worked the audience like pros and if Puck had any money he probably would have thrown it at her.

The loud music hadn't made it a night conducive to conversation, but the times she did get to chat to Sam she found him pleasant and easy going. She would probably go as far as saying she found she liked him. As a person, that is.

She returned to the bedroom to dress just as Quinn finished with her call. "I love you. See you tomorrow!" Blowing kisses at her iPad as she ended the call and Mercedes rolled her eyes. "I hope you told him one of those kisses was from his auntie Cedes!"

"Of course I did."

Perching on the corner of the bed she slathered her skin with organic shea butter. "So you're going home tomorrow?"

"I have to. I miss my son and I really shouldn't be in Vegas."

Mercedes knew she was right, but selfishly didn't want her friend to go. She still needed her. "But I can't stay here by myself."

"You won't be. Sam seems like a cool guy. You can hang for the week. You'll need to stay in touch in order to get the annulment anyway."

"Quinn, the deal was just for us to get married, not to actually hang out for the week!"

"I don't know about that. You guys seemed perfectly fine with hanging out last night. I don't think it would be a problem if you asked him. It's his first trip to Vegas too, so you can explore together. Just watch out for Puck. That guy is seriously handsy!"

Tempting as the idea was, she knew there was no way she could bring herself to ask to tag along, even if they were sharing the same suite. "I can't ask that of him."

"Of course you can! Now go out there and order us some breakfast coz I've got a flight to book! I'm already having to live without one of the men in my life. I can't handle both being away at the same time!"

Knowing there was nothing she could say to make her friend stay longer, especially as she was aware of of how wrong it was wrong to keep  
her away from her child, Mercedes quickly dressed in leggings and a tee. Taking a deep breath, she paused by the door before finally unlocking it and peeking into the communal area. She was met by the wide smile of Sam who was stretched out on the couch watching TV.

"Hi there! I'm glad you're up. I feel like I've been the only person awake in this place!"

She couldn't help but smile back. "Yeah I did oversleep a little. What time do you wake up?"

"About an hour ago." He patted the space next to him for her to sit and her legs obediently followed.

As she made her way over she stared at him for a moment, not quite believing just how good looking he actually was in the cold light of morning. Somehow it had taken until sitting next to him talking over the meal to realize that his eyes were a beautiful shade of green and that his smile made them crease ever so slightly in the corners. Pulling her thoughts back to the present she continued the conversation. "So... have you eaten breakfast yet?"

"No. But I took a liberty. After what you said yesterday about being able to charge things to the room, I went ahead and ordered us all breakfast." He looked at his watch then back at her. "I ordered it for 10.30 because I figured by then we'd all have to be up and start getting ready for the day."

She tugged at his wrist to look at his watch for herself before worrying that the action could have been seen as flirtatious. "So it should arrive in precisely three minutes?"

"That's the plan."

"And what if we hadn't been up yet?"

The eye crinkles grew deeper. "I took the additional liberty of ordering a wake-up call. I figured you'd have things you'd want to get done before the ceremony so I wanted to make sure you had enough time to prepare without feeling too stressed."

"Wow! That was really thoughtful of you in a borderline 'could be seen as creepy' sort of way!"

He backed up slightly. "No! I wasn't trying to be weird or controlling or anything! I just thought it would be practical-"

She laughed at his panicked reaction. "Don't worry Sam. It was a good idea. I like being organized and would hate to have flown out of bed and have to rush off."

"I hate that too. And with the ceremony being at two it makes more sense to have a decent brunch to see us right through than it does to miss lunch and be hungry with so much going on."

"Even after all that food we put away last night?"

He laughed. "Yeah that really was something. I don't think I've ever seen Puck speechless like that before."

"Yeah well I don't mess when it comes to food. I enjoy it and that's that. Besides, Quinn was right about them being the best wings I've ever tasted. I'm glad I did justice to my third of the platter!"

"Well Puck's face was a picture. He couldn't work out if he should find your eating sexy or intimidating."

"So what did _you_ think?"

Again she kicked herself for the flirtatious question but fortunately she didn't get to hear a reply because they were interrupted by a loud knock at the door and a waiter stepped in with a cart bearing several covered silver trays. Mercedes immediately leaped up and ran to the bedroom to fetch a tip as Sam went to help unload the trays. As she went into the bedroom Quinn passed her coming out. "What's with the alarm call?"

"Sam's ordered brunch."

"He has?" She brushed straight past her in her haste to see what was being delivered. "Good man!" Then she turned round and winked, "Or should I say good _catch!_"

Before Mercedes could give a snarky reply she was gone.

Only after tipping the waiter did Mercedes look at the delicious items Sam had ordered. Cleverly he'd selected a choice of both breakfast and lunch items to satisfy all tastes. They'd just taken places at the dining table and started to fill their plates when an unshaven Puck clad in just his boxers and a tank stumbled out of the other room, his hair looking even more tousled than usual. "What the fuck were you thinking ordering a wake-up call Sam!"

"We need to eat and get ready for the day!"

"The ceremony's not until two. No need to get up any time before one thirty!"

"In that case you can go back to bed and we won't save you any food!"

Puck eyed him, then the food before scratching his crotch and making his way over.

Mercedes was having one of that. "Stop right there! No touching of food with that nasty crotch infected hand! Go freshen up then you can take a seat!" She glared at him and he just shrugged back.

"My hands are clean!"

"Get away Puck!" Sam glared at him and finally he started to get the message.

"You two are so damned alike it's scary!"

For some reason his saying that made her want smile. "Just go Puck!"

He glared back at Sam. "So it's begun already. You're taking her side! I thought it was supposed to be bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other before the ceremony anyway!"

"Get out!"  
"Get out!"

Both Mercedes and Sam spoke at the same time before turning and grinning at each other then turning back to Puck with a glare, their shared body language not going unnoticed by Quinn either. Facing defeat, he turned and left, muttering under his breath but not quietly enough for them to not hear him describing them as a 'boring old married couple'.

Five minutes later he returned, dressed and freshened but still unshaven. Heading straight to the minibar he pulled out a bottle of champagne and brought it with him to the table. "This is a wedding breakfast. We should at least do it properly!"

**Fashion Mall: Las Vegas Boulevard**

Mercedes shut the curtain on the cubicle as she tried on the tenth dress of the morning. Nothing seemed to match the idea in her head, and the few that came close fitted completely wrong.

"At least admit that he's cute!" Quinn flicked through a dated magazine as she sat on the waiting room couch. There was nobody else in there so they could talk freely despite Mercedes being screened off.

"I'm not admitting to anything," came her disembodied voice from behind the curtain.

"Why not? He's an attractive guy. I may be a married woman but I still have eyes in my head!"

"Okay so maybe he is a bit-"

"A lot Mercedes, a _lot_! Even his friend is pretty hot. If only he wasn't a complete asshole he would have potential!"

"Softening?"

"Never! Anyway, this is about you and his friend, Mr 'easy on the eyes and extremely compatible personality'."

"Quit trying to make this into something it isn't!"

"I'm not. I'm just telling you what I see. And for the record, he thinks you're pretty hot too!"

Mercedes was glad to be behind the curtain because it meant her blush stayed hidden. "Yeah right, and he told you this when exactly?"

"He didn't have to tell me. It's obvious. They're both into you. Puck can't be taken seriously because he'll chase anything in a skirt, but Sam is more subtle. He looks at you when he thinks no one else is looking. And when he says something and you smile or laugh he lights up like a Christmas tree."

"I'm not doing this for a husband. I'm not looking for a real relationship."

"But the attraction's there."

"The attraction was there with Leo too, and now that I know better, I'm never letting my brain get clouded with physical attraction ever again!"

"Don't knock it! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't attracted to my man the moment I saw him.

"You were in a fit of rage! How did you even see anything?"

"You're underestimating the power of those gray eyes and firm chest Cedes. I think I knew he was going to be my husband from the moment he first put his arms around me."

"Only you could make that whole messed up situation sound romantic!"

"That's because it was. Without you and him I'd still be a world class bitch. Or worse still, a dead world class bitch."

"I just wanted you to be happy Quinn."

"And I want the same for you."

There was the sound of the curtain being ripped open and Mercedes stepped out in her eleventh dress. "Thus one?"

Quinn scanned her from head to foot. "Cedes its perfect! You look stunning!"

"You think?"

"I know! Now hurry up and take it off because now we need to go back for those shoes with the diamante heels that I told you we should have got the first time around..."

* * *

**Sweetheart's Chapel: Las Vegas Boulevard**

"I can't believe I have to wear one of these monkey suits too! I'll probably catch lice or something!"

"They're cleaned after every use. Quit moaning Puck!"

"And how come only _I_ have to wear a hat?"

Sam fought the smile as he shrugged, pretending he didn't know that it was because Mercedes hated his hair and feared it could ruin everything.

Puck began to pace as if _he_ was the anxious groom. "I think you should just call her and tell her this is a bad idea."

Sam gave up fighting the smile. "Maybe I don't want to. And besides, even if I did want to I can't because I don't have her number."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean we haven't exchanged numbers. I suppose with the speed this has all happened neither of us actually thought to ask the other."

"You're making a mistake!"

Sam simply stared into the mirror and straightened his tie. "Why are you so negative all of a sudden? Weren't you the one who was going to do this originally?"

"Yeah. But that was before I discovered how anally retentive she is! You're as boring as each other! I can see why you like her."

"I like her because she's not as nuts as I initially thought."

"And she's hot!"

"Puck!"

"What? Look me in the eye and tell me she doesn't have a banging body."

"Her body is irrelevant-"

"It would be criminal for you to not hit that at least once before the week ends. I know I was planning to. But I think her friend is slowly softening!"

Sam chuckled. There was absolutely no thaw in Quinn's attitude to Puck and he was enjoying seeing his friend failing so spectacularly.

Sam looked at his watch. There were only ten minutes to go. The courtesy coordinator came into the room with a smile. "How is the groom feeling?"

Sam shrugged. He didn't know how he was feeling at all. This was his wedding at yet it was nothing like the way he'd always imagined his wedding would be. And it wasn't to the only person he'd seen himself being married to either. Nice as Mercedes was, there was no hiding the fact that less than twenty four hours ago she had been a complete stranger to him. The uneasiness of making a mockery of the institution of marriage came back to him but the coordinator saw it only as nerves.

"Don't worry, we have dozens of couples saying their vows at the gazebo every week and it's a beautiful thing. A little nerves is a good sign. It means you're taking this seriously and you want it to work out. I personally think it's not good to enter marriage with a blasé attitude."

Sam didn't know what do so he avoided the coordinator's eyes as she pinned the buttonhole to his tux and prayed that Puck would have stopped smirking by the time she got to him.

All in all he was impressed with the whole setup. Mercedes had selected the most expensive package they had to offer but she tweaked things round a bit, opting to hire two tuxes instead of one tux and a wedding dress. She'd also called up in a panicked state half way through breakfast when she'd realized that there were no rings included in the package but they were able to source some for her.

The last thing she'd done before leaving the suite to go dress shopping with Quinn was to take him aside to thank him for doing this for her. The appreciation in her eyes was completely genuine and made him feel for her even more. What was it that had made her feel so trapped that she was willing to marry a complete stranger?

Finally she'd reached up to give him a combined goodbye and thank you peck on the cheek. It had made him smile. She didn't need to do it but he was glad that she did. For a brief moment they had seemed like a normal couple just saying goodbye before heading out to work in the morning.

And he'd liked it.

The coordinator's phone buzzed and she smiled at Sam. "Well the bride has just arrived and is in place so once we've sorted out her flowers we'll be able to get this show on the road!"

Suddenly nervous, Sam ran his hand through his hair. It wasn't too late to back out was it? He thought about Mercedes then breathed a little easier. She didn't freak him out as much as he thought she would. In fact, he actually quite liked her and the way that she thought. Plus she was hot as hell. Under any other circumstances he would definitely consider giving her the time of day but this was all a bit weird. His only reservation was that he couldn't help the fact that he felt she was hiding something from him and it bothered him.

Puck stood in front of the mirror, unhelpfully playing with his fedora and doing voices and impressions into the mirror while Sam sat and tapped his foot rapidly on the floor in an attempt to calm his nerves. After what felt like a couple of seconds the door opened and the coordinator smiled at him. "We're ready. Would you like to come with me now?"

They followed her through to a small chapel. It was tiny actually, probably seating no more than twenty, but at the front was a small gazebo, set up and beautifully decorated with ivy leaves and flowers. She led them to the spots where they needed to stand and the photographer took a couple of pictures of them in preparation.

Looking at her clipboard, the coordinatoer seemed pleased. "Okay, this is all running perfectly to time. Sam, I need you to stay standing in this exact spot throughout because the video camera is on you and you and the bride need to stay in shot the whole time. There's someone controlling it from behind to zoom in on things like the rings but you need to stay put as much as possible."

He nodded and Puck sniggered.

Suddenly everything stilled and the Wedding March started to play. Standing straight and looking towards the entrance he saw Mercedes step into view. She looked stunning. The dress wasn't what he had expected. Rather than going for a long traditional wedding gown, she wore a full skirted knee length dress with capped sleeves and a sweetheart neckline. It was simple but the skirt was full enough to make it special. Instead of the traditional white or ivory, she'd gone for a very delicate pale pink. The outfit was completed with matching sky high sandals with diamante heels which matched the small diamantes that scattered the hem and sweetheart neckline of her dress. It was a very sexy yet innocent look.

Not that he was looking at the neckline or her breasts.

No. Not at all.

And then she was slowly walking towards him, nervously clutching the fresh pink roses in her hand. She looked… Petrified! He'd been so caught up in his own feelings that it hadn't occurred to him that she might be scared too. Yes she was the instigator in this, but she wasn't without emotion. Catching her eye he gave her his most reassuring smile and saw her instantly calm. Keeping her focus on him as she walked she was eventually able to faintly return the smile.

By the time she'd made it to the gazebo the eye contact broke when she turned to Quinn to hand over her bouquet and the fear made her start to shake. Noticing it, he grabbed both of her hands in his and smiled at her again. Her hands were so small in his and it made him warm inside. She looked down at their joined hands and for a moment he regretted the action, thinking maybe she would find it too forward or too creepy, but then she looked back up at him with an expression of thanks and he knew that he had read her correctly and done the right thing. The last thing she'd said before leaving the suite was that they needed to make it look real. Well if that was the case, he was going to hold her hands for the whole damn ceremony!

"You look stunning Mercedes." And she did. Up close he could see that she was actually wearing a little subtle makeup. Nothing too fancy, just enough to enhance her already beautiful features and large eyes. Her hair was styled half up and half down, with a small tiara embedded into it at the front. Waves of curls cascaded over her shoulders as well as piled behind the tiara. The look was finished with a simple diamond matching earring and necklace set. She looked like a living breathing doll and Sam realized he was extremely reluctant to drag his eyes away from her to face the minister conducting the ceremony.

Thankfully the minister kept the ceremony short and sweet. He barely even heard the words, again thinking of the wedding that rightfully should have been his, before casting those thoughts aside and stealing glances at the pretty young woman stood beside him, her hands dwarfed in his. Yes, there were far worse people that he could have found himself in this position with.

And then it was the vows. Puck stepped forward with the rings on a satin cushion and he found repeating the words and sliding the ring on her finger to be far too easy a process. Was that really all there was to it? Mercedes repeated her words, slid his ring on and it was done.

"By the power vested in me by the state of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife." The minister openly winked at him. "You may now kiss the bride."

Shit! He'd forgotten about that part! They weren't really expecting a lip lock were they?

Then he remembered that they were on camera and any hesitation would be on record and would give them away. The way she squeezed his hand and looked pleadingly into his eyes was all he needed to know.

_Please make this look real!_

He had no intention of leaving her silent plea unanswered. Disentangling her hands from his, but not breaking their eye contact, he reached up and caressed her cheek slightly before tilting her head, casting her one last reassuring smile and kissing her gently.

Her lips were soft and slightly sticky from the gloss that she was wearing. Obviously the kiss to be slightly bigger than a peck, but nothing prepared him for just how good her lips would feel against hers or how the pounding of his heart would ring through his ears. It had been a long time since he'd kissed anyone, and compared to the last few kisses of his relationship, these lips were warm and receptive.

It was a nice kiss. A _really_ nice kiss considering she was a stranger that he'd met less than twenty four hours previously.

And in all honesty he may have lingered a little. Or even a lot, when her hands caressed his upper arms in a sign that he took to be encouragement. He kept it safe and closed lipped because they _were_ in a chapel after all and he didn't want to be disrespectful but damn, he was _not _supposed to be feeling it like that!

It was only the shuffling of the minister from behind that reminded him of where they were and what they were doing, and he released Mercedes' lips with a soft smack. He kept focused on her as she opened her eyes and smiled back at him. For a second he'd worried he'd taken a liberty with the kiss, but her expression showed nothing but relief and the fact that she was a little dazed. The kiss had left him a little dazed too so he knew exactly where she was coming from on that.

Sam wasn't in the habit of kissing strangers. Was it normal to feel something like this?

His silent thoughts were broken by the minister who reached to shake his hand and offer his congratulations. "I think I have the best job in the world watching people in love sealing their vows every day of my life!"

Sam nodded and kept silent, feeling like a hypocrite. "Thanks for the beautiful service," was as much as he could force out. He looked over to Mercedes but Quinn had gone to her and was speaking with her in hushed tones.

"Well now we need you to sign the register, we'll take pictures of you doing that, then it's into the next room to set you up with your first dance so that we can record that too. Where's your beautiful bride?"

Realizing that he had to continue in the role, he reached out for Mercedes, and as if she knew what he was thinking, she took his hand without hesitation as they went to complete their paperwork.

"What no tongue?"

Puck's overloud whisper hit his ear and Sam glared at him. "I'm not you!"

"But that was the perfect opportunity! If that was me I would have-"

"And that's why we're both glad it wasn't you! It was a kiss that was appropriate for the moment. A _church _kiss. It's a wedding video not a porno!"

"Pah! If she came at me looking like the hotness it'd lay it on her properly." He sniffed and straightened his spine. "My only consolation is that as best man, I get the ease my sorrows with the bridesmaid."

"I'd like to see you try. You have no idea when to give up do you?"

"Patience is a virtue my friend. See that pretty blue bridesmaid dress she's wearing? I'm planning on helping her taking it off later!"

"And the army husband?"

"On another continent. She must be missing a warm body next to her in bed at night…"

"The only person missing anything is you with your missing brain cells! I'll let you find out the hard way when a woman's not interested"

Once the paperwork was complete, they stood on a small dance floor and the lights dimmed. Sam nervously put his arms around her waist. "So what are we going to dance to?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I told them we don't have a song so they're just going to choose something randomly. They have a huge collection of first dance song so I'm sure it will be fine."

"As long as it isn't Shania Twain I don't mind."

"You don't like Shania?"

"My little sister loved her and played it her albums over and over. I got sick of it really fast."

"You have a little sister?"

"Yeah. And a younger brother." Again he was struck by how little he knew about this woman in his arms. "What about you?"

"No siblings. I always wanted a little sister though."

There was the crackly sound of an old record starting to play and then the room was filled with words:

_The first time, ever I saw your face  
I thought the sun rose in your eyes  
And the moon and the stars were gifts  
You gave to the dark and endless skies…_

It wasn't a song for dancing as much as it was for simply standing still and rocking in time. He sensed a change in Mercedes, that bringing up the subject of siblings had saddened her slightly. He wanted to ask more but she avoided his gaze, resting her head on his chest as they rocked and took small side to side steps together instead. It was far too comfortable a position and Sam found that he had to keep reminding himself that this wasn't real.

Yes he'd gone through with it and yes he'd even enjoyed the kiss, but this was just a straightforward deal to get them both out of the scrapes they were in.

But what he hadn't counted on was finding her so attractive and personable. If he spent too much time with her he would be in danger. Thankfully this deal was only for a week and then he could go back to his miserable heartbroken life.

One week married to this beautiful quirky woman who liked spicy bbq wings just as much as he did.

This woman who looked super sexy in the pink wedding dress that skimmed her curves and wore heels that were so high they'd made her legs super shapely and taken her from short to average height.

This woman who had somehow slipped into his dream after their night out.

This woman who he was convinced still held secrets.

This marriage…

It was only one week.

How hard could it be?

* * *

_**Song credit: The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face by Roberta Flack**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Thirty Minutes Later:**

The complimentary one hour usage of a sedan car following their ceremony was an offer they couldn't pass up. After initially struggling to decide where to go, they opted for taking the opportunity to go visit the famous 'Welcome to Las Vegas' sign. There wasn't much else there but it would be a perfect photo opportunity following their ceremony.

Puck and Quinn, both being seasoned Vegas visitors rolled their eyes at the excitement their friends showed at seeing the famous symbol. On its own it was just a sign, but for them it was part of the whole experience. Not caring what their friends thought, they laughed and posed for pictures until Mercedes' feet put up a protest so loud she could no longer ignore it. She stood for a moment, slipped a foot out of one of the sandals and wiggled the toes slowly before stretching out the arch of her foot.

"I wondered if those shoes might be a bit uncomfortable." Sam watched her in fascination as she slipped her foot back in. "Why did you wear them?"

"Because they're beautiful. They were love at first sight. At first I resisted, but when I found the dress I had to go back and get them because they went well together."

"They're a perfect match. And for what it's worth they look really good on you."

"Thanks. That's what I was hoping. Sadly they're not designed for too much walking and standing around outside."

"Okay, so no more walking!"

"Huh?"

Before she had the chance to form a proper question he'd scooped her up into his arms bridal style. "Let's give your beautiful feet a rest. Our time's nearly up with the car so we need to take it back to the hotel while we still have it."

"Hey!" She started to squirm, "Put me down Sam! I'm heavy!"

"No you're not, you're light as a feather! But if it makes you feel safer, I can throw you over my shoulder in a fireman's lift. I just figured this way would be more appropriate seeing as you actually _are_ a bride today..."

"Sam this is only- I mean you don't have to- "

He grinned. "I know I don't. But we've gone ahead and done this so let's at least try to make today fun and special. After all, we are both on holiday. And it's not everyone who can say they got married in a little chapel in Vegas!"

"I guess not." She relaxed into his arms and allowed him to carry her the short distance back to the vehicle. Normally she would have more fight in her but there was something about Sam that just made her feel calm and relaxed. This kind of feeling didn't happen to her with many people and she tried not to think too hard about what it might mean.

Quinn and Puck both seemed keen to leave as well and she opened the passenger door as Sam put Mercedes down so that she could climb it. She pretended she didn't notice the nudge that her friend gave her. She knew what her traitorous was doing and she wasn't going to entertain the teasing. At the same time, she was glad to be returning to the hotel. The dress she wouldn't have minded keeping on but the shoes were definitely going to have to go. They were beautiful but she'd been on her feet too long in them.

Walking back to their suite, she smiled at the concierge but as soon as they stepped into the elevator she stepped out of the heels.

"Wow! You've seriously just shrunk!" Puck stepped forward and rested his elbows on her shoulders.

"Hey! I'm not a glorified arm rest for you Puck!"

"I know, but you're such a good height for it!"

Sam stepped slightly closer. "She's a good height whatever she's wearing, although I have to admit those shoes did make you a nice height to dance with."

He shot her a genuine smile and she returned it. She'd enjoyed that dance far more than she admitted even to herself.

"Will you lovebirds just quit already! I need to hurry up and get out of this damn monkey suit!" They both glared at Puck while Quinn jerked away from him suspiciously quickly then darted first through the elevator doors, opening the room with her passkey.

Sam glared at his friend. "You need to quit before she seriously hurts you!"

Puck simply shrugged. "She's just playing hard to get!"

Mercedes scoffed. "There's nothing 'hard to get' about Quinn, there's just hard. But I'll leave you to find that out the _hard _way."

"And I sure hope I'm there to see it," added Sam as he followed her out into the hallway.

"You guys are sooooo boring..." Puck rolled his eyes at them before a couple of giggling girls in short skirts walked past and he spun around as his eyes followed them. Making the most of his outfit he tipped his hat at them. "Good afternoon ladies...

* * *

**Bellagio Hotel: Presidential Suite**

"What are you doing?"

"Just looking at the pictures we took at the Las Vegas sign."

"Let's see!"

Sam reached towards the phone but Puck pulled it away from him. "Later. I thought you were putting the suits away. They'll be coming to collect them soon and you know I can't fold stuff properly!"

This time it was Sam's turn to roll his eyes but he knew his friend was right, and the perfectionist in him wanted the items to go back just as they'd received them.

By the time he'd put everything back in their package ready to be collected when the photographs and DVD were delivered, he realized that Puck had been suspiciously quiet outside of the room for a while. Leaving the bedroom, he was met by the sight of Mercedes not even bothering to hide the mirth on her face. Without a word she simply pointed to the minibar where Puck was propped up, red faced, slightly doubled over and breathing hard as if he was in pain.

Quinn stood next to him, calmly pouring herself a class of water before taking a long slow refreshing drink. Turning to Puck she pushed an open bag of Cheetos towards him. "Chip?"

He looked at her incredulously before shaking his head, still looking pained.

At his response Quinn smiled. "Just breathe through the pain. It won't last long. And I promise you'll still be able to father children in the future. Probably..."

"You okay Puck?" Sam didn't know what had happened but had a pretty good idea which amused him no end. Puck's reply was to nod far too hard and far too quickly. He looked like he was in agony and Sam had not one ounce of sympathy. It was a feeling clearly shared by Quinn and Mercedes. Whatever had happened, Puck had had it coming for the longest time and despite being his friend he knew Puck deserved it.

Turning back to Mercedes he took in her changed outfit. She'd changed into skinny jeans and short tunic dress. But the highlight was the fact that she still had the tiara in her hair. He pointed to it and she laughed again. "What? I like the tiara. You said I'm a bride for the day and you're right! I have every right to walk around feeling like a princess. If I want to wear it all day I will! And I want to, so there! This trip is about me being free and doing what I want instead of what's expected"

He laughed in return "Yeah, why not!"

They were overcome with a sudden shy silence until he finally broke it. "So what do you feel like doing later?"

"I don't know. Technically it's still our wedding day so I think we need to have a reception or at least a wedding meal. I'll ring down to the concierge and see what he can hook us up with. If we stay in the hotel then I can keep the tiara on all day."

"That would work!" Quinn smiled at the idea. "And we haven't hit the pool yet. Maybe we can get a cabana. I don't know about you but I'm really feeling for some sun and some sleep right now after last night. I think I'm getting old!"

Sam agreed. The idea of seeing Mercedes in a swimsuit was one he was more than happy with. Plus cabanas often came with food and he was already starting to feel for some.

"Okay, everyone get your stuff and I'll call down and sort it!"

Minutes later, they converged back at the dining table. Mercedes ran back into her room for one last thing just as Quinn's bag began to ring. As he was stood closest to her, Sam could see that the call was coming from a foreign number and she let out a squeal of excitement, waving the phone in Puck's face and mouthing the word 'husband' to him before answering it.

"Hello?"

The smile instantly fell from her face and she stilled. "Yes. Yes this is Mrs Abrams speaking." There was a pause. "Yes I'm indoors and sitting." She pulled out one of the dining room chairs and collapsed heavily into it just as Mercedes came back out of the bedroom. She looked at Sam with a questioning expression and he simply shrugged and mouthed the word 'husband' back at her.

"Nooooooo..."

The color completely drained from Quinn's face as she listened in silence to whoever was on the other end of the line. Mercedes clearly sensed the bad news and quickly rushed to her friend's side.

"Please no..." Quinn started to shake her head over and over.

The whole room felt cold. Sam had no idea what was going on, but if her husband really was serving overseas there was a good chance that she was getting some extremely bad news. Nobody deserved that.

Mercedes put her arms around her friend's shoulders as she started to speak again. "When will we find out?"

Again silence.

"But he's out of danger right?"

Another pause, punctuated only by a sob. "Thank you. Please let me know as soon as there's any change." She ended the call, let out a strangled cry and fled into the bedroom. Mercedes cast Sam a helpless look then followed her friend.

It was a ten minute anxious wait and even Puck was respectfully quiet for the most of it until he could hold it in no longer. "Shit! I thought she just made him up as an excuse. I hope he's okay."

"So do I," Sam murmured, "so do I!"

By the time Mercedes returned the tiara had gone and she looked as if she'd been crying. "I'm sorry guys but I have to go with Quinn to the airport."

"Is she okay?"

"Not really. The vehicle Artie, that's her husband, was travelling in hit a landmine last night. She's not been able to tell me everything coherently yet but only two out of the four in the vehicle survived. Artie was one of the survivors but he's in a really bad way. He has severe spinal injuries that need specialist treatment that he can't get where he is. As soon as they can get him stabilized they'll fly him back home to a specialist spinal unit here. It's early days, but there's a chance he may never walk again!"

"Shit that's tough news!" Puck looked visibly shaken.

"Is there anything we can do?"

She shook her head. "No. We're getting her on the next flight home. She needs to be with her mom and her son right now."

At that moment a distraught looking Quinn came out of the bedroom with her packed bag. Catching sight of the guys she forced a small smile. "Sorry to put a damper on your holidays."

"It's not your fault. It's always a risk serving overseas."

Quinn nodded and was silent for a moment before looking up again. "Sam, can I speak with you for a second?"

"Sure." He allowed her to pull him aside.

"I just wanted to ask you to look out for Mercedes. I know this whole situation is weird but she's not as brave as she makes herself out to be. This is her first time in Vegas and she doesn't know anyone. If you could look out for her I'd feel a lot better about leaving her behind. She's too scared to ask to hang out with you so let her know it would be a welcome option."

"Of course I will."

"Thanks Sam. You're a good guy for what you did for her."

"Hey, I got something out of it too."

She smiled at him faintly and it definitely contained some warmth. "That's not what I mean."

He touched her arm. "And I'm sorry about your husband. I hope he has a speedy recovery. He's a hero."

The smile fell but she acknowledged his words with a nod as her eyes welled up again. She nodded briefly to Puck before heading to the door. Mercedes followed her before turning back in the doorway. "I'm sorry to leave you guys on your own, but the cabana is reserved and charged to the room so please make use of it, have something to eat out there and just enjoy... you know... Yeah so…"

"Wait!"

Sam ran over to her. "Give me your phone."

Taking it from her hand he saved his number in it then gave himself a missed call. "I'm on the other end of that number if you need anything."

She nodded her thanks and they disappeared leaving Sam to sigh heavily.

* * *

Two hours later he stared at the missed calls and messages on his phone and cursed. After saving Mercedes' number he'd managed to go down to the cabana and leave the phone on the dining table. Worried she might have tried to get in touch he'd hurried back, wishing he hadn't napped for so long. There was no message from Mercedes but there was one text from his brother Stevie, one missed call and voicemail from him, and three calls and one voicemail from his mom.

A feeling of dread overwhelmed him as he the decided to start with the text message which had been the first item to arrive about an hour earlier.

**Mom just caught me checking Puck's Instagram. You are in the DEEPEST SHIT EVER bro! **

With an intensifying feeling of foreboding he played the first voicemail. His brother's laughter filled his ear. "Sam, you're in so much trouble! You need to get out of your honeymoon bed right now coz I think you literally _broke mom_! Like seriously! So… you know how she likes to sneak behind me when I'm on the computer since that time she caught me watching porn… well Puck's tagged you in some pictures and when I clicked the album it's of you getting _fucking married! _My _boring_ brother actually ran off and got married! Fucking crazy! She's hot by the way! Where did you find her? Does she have a sister? Anyway, mom sees the pictures and now she won't stop crying so you're going to have to explain-" The message abruptly ended, probably due to the maximum message length.

Shit! He hadn't even thought of telling his family! It had totally slipped his mind. Or maybe he'd secretly hoped they wouldn't notice. But why the hell would Puck put the pictures straight up online? No wonder he was being so cagey earlier!

And what the hell was he going to say to his overemotional mom?

The next missed call was half an hour later from his mom. He could easily have imagined her taking that long to compose herself once she'd started crying. He couldn't make sense of the accompanying message. All he could make out was choking sobs with a smattering of random words. The only ones he could make out were 'my baby', 'married', 'beautiful, 'praise', 'why', 'invitation' and 'babies'. By the end he still couldn't even be sure if she was happy, sad or angry.

Walking across to the minibar he knocked back a shot of neat white rum, wincing as it burned its way down before steeling himself to make the call back.

Forty five minutes! The first twenty she was barely coherent, the second twenty revealed that she was happy. Her son was now married so she could rest easy but she would be forever hurt that she wasn't invited to be there to see her son on the most special day of his life and how the girl was 'absolutely beautiful and she had no problem at all with the fact that she was black'. Sam didn't know what to make of that last statement but knew there was no maliciousness in it. His mom was the most accepting person he knew. The final five minutes were spent trying to end the call and say goodbye. He was on his fifth 'I love you too' as Mercedes came in, shooting him a quizzical look as he finally hung up.

"My mom." He answered the question before she asked it.

"Oh right." She sounded like she didn't believe him.

"No, seriously. I didn't think to tell her about all this and now she's seen wedding pictures on Puck's Instagram."

"Was she angry?"

"No. She's happy."

"That's good."

"No, it's bad. Very bad. But enough about me, how is Quinn?"

"Her flight left half an hour ago."

"Poor thing."

"I know. She looks strong but she's really vulnerable right now, especially with her history-" She stopped herself from saying more. "Didn't you go to the cabana?"

"We did. I came back because I forgot my phone and got stuck talking to my mom. Puck's still down there asleep. The pool area is amazing!"

"I haven't even seen it yet."

"You should come down."

She shook her head. "I don't feel up to it somehow. Do you want coffee?"

"Sure. Why not."

They made coffee together in silence until Mercedes spotted the thick album and disk sitting on the table. "Are those the photos of the wedding?"

He nodded. She fingered the album but didn't open it. "Puck posting the pictures reminds me that I need to do the same." She picked up the disk, "I need to post some footage to Facebook, I hardly use my account but I know it will get back to my dad if it's there."

"Will he be mad?"

"Probably. But he'll get over it."

Sam wanted to ask more but her expression told her that conversation was now closed. She took her coffee and curled up on the couch, bringing her knees to her chest. "I can't stop thinking about Artie. He's so amazing and active and full of life. I don't know how he'll take it when he wakes up and discovers he can't walk."

"All he can do is take things one day at a time. It's not yet official that he'll never be able to walk again. And he has Quinn by his side. Never underestimate the power of the love of a good woman. It can make any man strong."

"Do you really believe that?"

"Yes I do. And Quinn loves him. They'll be fine whatever happens."

"I hope so." She sipped her drink. "All it makes me do is think about how short life is and how I need to make sure that I live it to the full."

"Well that's what you're doing. That's why you're here isn't it?"

"Yep. This is one of the things I've always wanted to do. Somewhere inside my head there's a whole checklist of things like visiting Iceland to see the Northern Lights, floating on the Dead Sea and watching the sun set over the Grand Canyon."

"I've always wanted to do that too. When I get my card released I'm going to book myself on one of those bus tours to the Grand Canyon. I can't believe Puck's been to Vegas so many times and he hasn't seen it."

"Hasn't he? Why not?"

"He says it's just a big hole in the ground and is not worth wasting precious Vegas time over!"

"More fool him then!"

"Exactly. But it's okay. I'm happy to go on my own."

She looked at him for a moment then looked away. Suddenly Quinn's words came back to him. Even in her grief her friend was looking out for her and he couldn't let Quinn down. "How about you come with me on the day trip? It would be nice to have some company for the long bus ride and it'll be nice to treat you to something for all you've done for me."

She looked as if she was thinking about it seriously. "But you won't get to see the sunset on a day tour. That needs an overnight stay. I want to do the whole thing, take a mule down to the bottom, fly overhead in a helicopter, watch the sunset, the whole works."

"That sounds amazing! But don't you have to book like a year in advance to get a mule down?"

"Yeah. I heard that too. Maybe the concierge can sort something."

"He'll have to be a miracle worker!"

"They're paid to make things happen Sam. I want to go to the Grand Canyon and see the sunset and I will. You can come with me or you can stay here with Puck and watch him scratch his junk all day. Your choice."

He wanted to, but how would he be able to afford the concierge services, even if his card did get released? The tours he'd been looking at were the most basic ones, and even they started at around eighty dollars per person!

It was as if she read his mind. "Sam, the wedding day got ruined, we were supposed to have a fun day but it got derailed, we'll go to the Grand Canyon, call it the honeymoon to go with the wedding and then we'll call it quits."

He didn't like that idea at all. But this was the Grand Canyon, was his pride really going to make him go on a bus tour alone when he could make it into the trip of a lifetime with someone he enjoyed being with and was far easier on the eyes than Puck?

"Please Sam. I'm going to do this regardless. I owe it to Artie and Quinn. I'll go on my own if I have to, but the truth is I don't really want to."

How could he refuse, especially as she was staring at him with those big shiny deer-like eyes?

"Only if you let me at least pay for the food!"

She held out her hand and he took it, enjoying the warmth of their skin contact. "It's a deal!"

She smiled at him then sighed, rubbing her eyes. Suddenly she looked completely emotionally drained and stood up. "I'll make the call right now."

"Are you okay?"

"I have a headache. I need to take a nap then call Quinn as soon as she lands."

"Okay."

"Plus I have to get the video uploaded to that we can begin the countdown to the annulment."

_The annulment. How had he forgotten about that so quickly?_

She walked over and placed her mug in the sink of the wet bar. "Shall I see if I can get us to the Grand Canyon tomorrow? I have to admit there's something appealing about being somewhere with limited phone network coverage as the shit hits the fan back home."

"Sure. I have no set itinerary. Are you okay with leaving Puck alone in the suite?"

She shrugged. "It's not my property. And Quinn isn't here for him to harass. If he breaks anything he can pay for his own damage but I think he's all mouth and no action."

He looked at her amazed. She really had managed to suss his friend out quickly!

She yawned and rubbed her eyes again. "I'm sorry Sam but I really need to lie down."

"Will you join us for something to eat later?"

"Probably not. I'm not hungry."

"But you haven't eaten since this morning!"

"I can't stomach anything until I know Quinn's safely back with her family. If I'm up later I'll message you. And I'll be messaging you about the Grand Canyon too."

She turned and headed to her bedroom and he was loathe to see her go. "Wait! You forgot something!"

She turned and frowned. "What did I forget?"

He beckoned her over and when she approached he pulled her into a warm hug, relishing the feel of her against him for a moment before releasing her.

"What was that for?"

"That was because you looked like you needed it with everything that's happened today."

A small smile made its way onto her lips. "You're right. I did. And now I know how good they are I might just ask for a second one!"

He obliged, lingering a little longer before she finally pulled away and left.

The sound of the lock clicking on her bedroom door made him sad and he tried not too hard about why that was. But the truth was that he'd married one of the sexiest women he'd ever met, and she was spending their wedding night with him the wrong side of a locked door. Where was the justice in that?

An evening with Puck just wasn't the same, even though they'd headed back downtown on the bus and spent hours on the penny slots. It was only as they staggered back in during the early hours that he saw the message on his phone.

**Quinn home safe, wedding video uploaded and Grand Canyon trip of a lifetime all booked! Leaving 9am sharp. Bring overnight bag, camera and sense of adventure!**

Sam smiled set his alarm before lying in the dark listening to Puck's snores and wondering what the hell was in store for him…

* * *

**_Okay… Hands up who saw Quartie coming! _**

**_I wasn't going to make a character for Quinn's husband but so many asked who it was that I had to think up something with my evil mind. Coming up with different ways to injure Artie makes me feel quite cruel!_**


	6. Chapter 6

**Day 3:**

**Bellagio Hotel, Presidential Suite**

Mercedes blinked as the alarm on her phone began to ring. She'd literally been lying on her back, staring at the ceiling and counting down the seconds until it went off. It had been a restless light, and yet again the curtains were open and the room was filled with light. On the one hand, everything felt like a dream, but on the other, reality bit harshly. There was no sleepy blond head on the pillow next to her but there was a thin gold band on the third finger of her left hand.

A hell of a lot had happened yesterday. Even though the phone was lying next to her she still checked it in case there was a message from her friend with an update on her husband's situation. She'd spoken to Quinn late the night before. Artie was in a chemically induced coma while his injuries were being assessed. He had yet to face the harsh reality of what had happened.

Quinn had made it back safe and was staying with Momma CeeCee. They both knew that was the safest place for her. Quinn was strong and determined not to slip up, but even she was able to acknowledge the stressful situation put her at risk of acting without thinking. She had her baby and wouldn't dream of doing anything stupid, but there was safety in constant company. And someone with Momma CeeCee's experience was exactly who she needed to be with right now.

Her bag was packed the night before and it took her no time to shower and dress. She stepped out of her room with fifteen minutes to spare, just as Sam also stepped out of his room. He looked delicious with his hair still slightly damp from his shower. She'd tried hard not to think about that kiss from the moment she'd woken up, but seeing those lush full lips in the flesh was doing things to her willpower.

"Morning Sam. All packed?"

He nodded wildly and showed her his small backpack. "So what exactly is the plan for today?"

She grinned. "Today is going to be an action packed whirlwind of activity. We're going to be picked up at 9.15 and taken directly to a drive through McDonalds because I really want one of their breakfasts and you're on food duty. We'll have to eat in the car as we head to the North Airport where we'll join up with a tour to Grand Canyon West. Once there we'll skip the Skywalk because it's supposed to be a total tourist trap and get into another helicopter and briefly fly below the rim. We'll then get taken to the Colorado River where we get to have a boat trip before coming back for a bbq lunch and Western show. Probably totally fake but who cares. After lunch we will be taken by helicopter again to Flagstaff where we'll be taken by minivan to The Grand Canyon National Park in time for sunset. We have a reservation at the El Tovar hotel which has spectacular views of the Canyon from inside if we wish as well as a lovely restaurant. Coming back tomorrow there was no airplane availability, so we'll join one of your beloved bus tours for the five hour ride back, with a stop en route at the Hoover Dam for a quick tour and photos. Sound good?"

Sam looked speechless.

"Yeah, that sounds great! How did you get all that sorted so quick?"

"I didn't. It's what concierges are paid and highly tipped to do."

"But I can't believe you're spending so much-"

"I told you, I'm not. I'm enjoying this treat just as much as you are."

"So then who's our mysterious benefactor?"

Mercedes frowned. "I told you. It's not dodgy. Just… family…"

He raised is eyebrow and she shifted uncomfortably has his eyes assessed her carefully. "You must come from a really rich family then."

"No. Not really…" Again she fidgeted and her face flooded with relief as her phone rang at that very moment.

"Quinny baby! How are you holding up?"

She leaped up from the table and ran to take the call in the bedroom away from Sam's inquisitive eyes.

"Any news?"

"No, no change. I spoke to the army hospital this morning and they said there's no deterioration. They think he's stabilizing but want to give it another twenty four hours before they contemplate moving him. Oh Cedes, I just wish I could talk to him and hold his hand."

"You will do, really soon. He'll be back on American soil before you know it."

"But what if he can't walk?"

"That's not something to worry about just yet. Just focus on him getting stable and getting back home. Anything else that comes up, you can deal with together."

Quinn sighed. "I know. But you know me, sometimes I'm just so impatient."

"I'm here with you every step of the way."

"I know. You're the best." Mercedes heard her sigh again quietly before pulling herself together. "Anyway, I didn't call to talk about me, I need to know what's happening with you."

"Me?"

"I've been repeating myself over and over to people about what happened to Artie. You're my best friend and I abandoned you in Vegas. I need to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine."

"And Sam?"

"He's fine too."

"Are you seeing him today?"

"Yes?"

"When?"

"We were just about to go and have breakfast when you called."

"Breakfast huh? Sounds cosy. Then what?"

"Then…" Mercedes twirled a lock of hair around her finger, "then we're going to the Grand Canyon ."

"With Puck?"

"Without Puck."

"Uh huh… And you know the best way to see it is to stay overnight and watch the sunset…"

"I know…"

"And…"

Mercedes knew that this conversation must have been like pulling teeth for Quinn so she decided to put her out of her misery. "...And we're booked into El Tovar for tonight."

"Ooooh mama! That's a nice hotel!"

"I didn't ask for nice, I just asked for availability."

"Just be thankful for small mercies and don't resist any opportunities that may present themselves."

They talked for a few moments more before Mercedes finally excused herself. She and Sam needed to get their day started and there was a McDonald's breakfast somewhere out there with her name on it!

* * *

**Grand Canyon West**

The day went perfectly. She watched Sam's as it filled with awe on the helicopter ride to the canyon. Once there she changed her mind about the skywalk and she paid the extortionate fee for them both to go.

Sam grinned at her. "I though you said this is a giant rip off," he said as she selected four large photos of them for purchase as they weren't allowed to take their own cameras onto the platform.

"Oh it is, but on the way here I thought more about it. It's a rip off because the local Indians are basically charging for people to see their land. On the face of it that seems wrong, but considering this was once all their land which was taken by the white man, and only a little of it given back, and the part which was given was the inferior part, there's a delicious irony in the fact that they're now charging the white man to visit the land. It's a form of bitch karma payback that I, as a black woman, wholeheartedly suppport." She side-eyed him, "No offense to you as a white individual."

"None taken. I'd never thought about it before but I totally agree with your argument. Not every white person is proud of the things done to get us where we are today."

"Good. Because I would've got the annulment right now if you were going to have a shitty attitude about this."

"No. We're cool. I'm not too proud to acknowledge I have a lot to learn. Having a best friend who is half black half Jewish is a real eye opener."

"I did wonder what his mix was. But the way he devoured those pork ribs that first night..."

"Jewish by birth only. Just don't tell his momma!"

She winked. "Ha! Okay so it's like that is it!"

* * *

**Grand Canyon National Park**

The day flowed smoothly with the perfect balance of activity and restfulness. Despite this, their excitement levels remained high all day as they took in the breathtaking views that were afforded them on this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Before they knew it their time in Grand Canyon West was done and they headed back along the dirt road to start the second part of their journey. As they flew, Mercedes explained to him that they had to do this because the journey would have taken hours by road and there wouldn't have been enough time to catch the sunset.

As they approached the El Tovar hotel, Sam looked at it in awe. Accommodation in the national park wasn't cheap at the best of times, and this hotel, he was pretty sure, was the most expensive one in the national park. He didn't expect they would be able to get in somewhere so nice, but then again he'd already learned that with Mercedes Jones, the only thing he could expect was the unexpected.

Casting her a sideways glance, he took a moment to observe her. She puzzled him. On the one hand she was totally at ease in the Presidential Suite, tipping well for concierge services when everyone else would be straight on Google, yet on the other hand she didn't strike him as being rich. As they'd travelled from Grand Canyon West, they'd spoken about the wedding and she'd revealed that she was a bargain hunter. The dress she'd worn wasn't a designer one. It was just a regular discounted out of season High Street dress. She'd shone with pride as she told him the fact that the dress and the shoes together had come to less than sixty dollars. They certainly looked as if they'd been worth far more. She confused him, and yet the challenge of working her out was something that excited him.

Actually, there were quite a few things about her that excited him but he wasn't going to think about that. He wasn't allowed to think about that. Instead he followed her as she checked in and collected the key, casting a wary eye on the far too happy receptionist who he was sure said 'congratulations' before wishing them an enjoyable stay. It left him with a slightly ominous feeling and Mercedes' expletive as she opened the door confirmed his worry.

"Sorry Sam. I knew they only had one room available but figured at least it was a twin. He cast his eyes on the large king bed and examined the items resting on top of the comforter: a heart shaped box of chocolates, a bottle of champagne and a small bouquet of flowers with a card that read 'Congratulations on your marriage'.

Mercedes looked mortified. "I'm so sorry, I had no idea they were going to do this! I didn't say anything about-" She stopped and slapped her hand over her mouth. "Unique!"

He frowned. "Unique?"

"From the Bellagio concierge desk. She's the one who helped me locate a chapel and organize the rings. She must have assumed..."

"It's okay Mercedes. There's plenty of room on the floor. Just chuck me a couple of pillows and I'll be fine."

"No! I can't do that to you. It's a king. We can share- if you don't mind. I mean- I don't mind if you don't. I trust you."

He shot her what he hoped to be his most charming smile. "And I trust you too. She obviously meant well and pulled a lot of strings to get us this. It would be wrong of us to not at least enjoyed it!"

Casting a small sigh she shot him a relieved smile. "Wanna drop your bag and check out the view outside?"

* * *

It was breathtaking. Grand Canyon West had been amazing, but this was the Grand Canyon in its most raw, natural and breathtaking form. As the afternoon was fading and the bus groups and day trippers were leaving, they found that just a short walk along the path led them to places where they could get sit on an outcropping undisturbed and soak in the atmosphere. At first Mercedes had been nervous to sit with her legs dangling over the outcropping he'd chosen, but once she did, she told him that she felt as if she were sitting on top of the world.

For the longest time they stayed quiet, just staring out into the huge expanse. The colors were different here, more vibrant and varied. It was different to what they'd seen before and well worth the extra effort and travel. Sam had already heard that this was the place to be to get the greatest views and now he believed it. Hours on a bus would be worth it just for five minutes soaking up the peace of this place. And to share to moment with a beautiful woman was just the icing on the cake. Mercedes was perfectly correct when she'd spoken of the Indians being given the inferior part.

"What are you thinking?"

"Huh?"

She nudged him lightly. "You looked so thoughtful."

"Yeah, sorry. I wish I could say it was something deep and fundamentally meaningful but really I was just thinking 'wow this place is totally huge!'"

She giggled. "I know. So was I. It's so amazing that it actually stops you from thinking.

You just have to stare and try really hard just to take it in."

Again the silence resumed between them until it was broken by a piercing whistle and Mercedes nearly jumped out of her skin before freaking out at the huge drop below her as she reached into her pocket. "Sorry, I thought I had no reception out here so I didn't bother turning my cell off."

She took out her phone to look at it then thought better of it and replaced it.

"Aren't you curious? It might be important."

"Nope. Probably wedding fallout that I'm not ready to deal with yet. I just need to enjoy being out here in nature clearing my head before the storm hits."

He wanted to ask but again sensed that it was the wrong moment. He'd quickly learned he had to treat carefully otherwise she'd quickly put up walls to keep him out. "Maybe it's Quinn."

"Oh." She paused then pulled it back out again, unlocking the screen before nodding, "Yeah you're right... Quinn says that if Artie remains stable overnight, he'll be flown home tomorrow. They need to get him specialist treatment as soon as possible."

"It's good news that he's stable."

"Yeah." She typed a reply and held the phone high over her head, clearly trying and failing to get signal before cursing in frustration and replacing the phone in her pocket.

"So how is Quinn doing?"

"She's hanging in there."

"Hanging in there?"

"If you knew Quinn you'd understand."

"You must be really good friends."

"We are. We're different, but we work."

"I figured that. Just like Puck and I."

"How long have you guys known each other?"

"Since high school. He was an idiot then too. But he acts out just to hide his own insecurities."

"That's the same as Quinn."

"So you met in high school too?"

"College actually. Although it was more of an 'encounter' than a proper meeting. That happened a little later."

"Sounds like there's a story in that one!"

She looked out into the distance. "There is. Quinn was a bitch and a bully as well as being a couple of years older than me. Our friendship came after college."

"Okay..." Sam knew that if he stayed quiet she would eventually continue talking and sure enough, she did.

"Quinn was always a girl with issues. She and her friends were rich, had attitude and thought that happiness was something that was snorted through a fifty dollar bill."

"So where do you come into this?"

"I was forced in. I kept my head down in college and worked hard. I was sat alone in campus, daydreaming and staring into the middle distance when she came over with her friends and randomly started yelling at me."

"Harsh! So what did you do?"

She chuckled. "Girl thought I was staring at her and told me to quit staring, called me a whole bunch of hurtful names and said if I wanted a fight she'd give me one. But I wasn't going to be spoken to like that so I snatched her hair, held back her head to forced her to listen and told her all about herself!"

"Wow! That must have been something to see."

Mercedes shrugged. "I dunno. I'd spent my life taking unnecessary shit from people and she caught me on the wrong day at the wrong time. Her friends had to drag her away from me. I heard that she quit college not long after that."

"So how did you reconnect?"

"Nearly two years later I got a call from a number I didn't recognize. At first it took me a moment to even remember who she was, but she said she'd asked around for my number because she wanted to meet and apologize in person for what she did. At first I was like, 'hell no', then I got curious, and because I'd just broken up with my boyfriend I had time on my hands so I thought I'd see what had become of her. When I got there she was half an hour late and she was a mess. She was skinny as hell, her skin was pale and her hair was limp. She kept shaking nervously and chain-smoked. She said that she was trying to get clean and was now part of a counselling program. At the program they'd told her that she needed to find honest people to be with. Her friends weren't honest. They'd only hung with her because her family had money and she'd score drugs for them. Once her family disinherited her, they lost their interest and were nowhere to be seen. Her counsellor made her sit and think about all the people who'd been truthful with her and it was pretty much only me that one day that I'd vented. Apparently my words had stuck with her and on the rare occasion her conscience kicked in, they would bug her."

"So she sought you out?"

"Yep. Crazy but true. I didn't need friends, and I especially didn't need someone like her in my life, but I had to respect that it would have taken a huge slice of humble pie for her to want to apologize to me in person. Especially as she sounded like she meant it. The stuff I said to her was in response to her meanness. It wasn't nice and it wasn't kind but it was the truth. Turns out Quinn is a huge fan of straight talking and she liked the fact that I was willing to be honest to her face, even if it meant putting myself in danger."

"So you became best friends?"

"No straight away. I was wary of her, but also really curious. She clearly struggled to get herself clean. At the beginning we would meet once a week for coffee. Often she would be late and wired, a couple of times she didn't even show up, but things improved over time. She put on weight and she looked healthier. The more we talked the more we discovered we actually had in common. Quinn has a wicked sense of humor and we think alike on so many things.

"Time passed and we grew closer. Quinn seemed to settle and we even went away for a girlie weekend. Then one day she just vanished. It was like she'd fallen off the end of the earth. Her cell stopped working, her employers couldn't get hold of her and let her go and even her landlady clueless. There was no clue about her whereabouts and I was worried sick, but there was nothing I could do because she was a grown woman. The last person to have seen her was her landlady. She said a man had come by and she'd freaked out even though he seemed pleasant and was some sort of relative. They'd argued and he stormed out. Next thing Quinn was booked on the midnight bus out of town. She packed so fast she left half her things behind.

"Even though I tried, it was like she just didn't want to be found. Months passed, nearly nine months to be precise, then I get a call out if the blue. She was in a bar not too far away and could I come meet her. The call was short and the place was loud, but the thing that struck me most was how scared she sounded.

"I got there just in time to see her arguing with another woman, moments before they were both physically thrown out by the owner of the bar, saying he didn't want any trouble in the establishment. A couple of people from the bar also followed them out, clearly wanting to see the fight. She saw me, called my name and started to head over but the other woman yanked her by the hair and called her a liar, telling her to take back whatever she'd said before shoving her against the wall. She hit her head so hard I thought it knocked her out but she got right back up and went crazy on the older woman. Eventually two guys had to pull them apart as I ran over. All I could see was blood on Quinn's head. She seemed to sag against the guy and he picked her up, looking at me and asking if I knew her because she needed to go hospital. I was reluctant because I didn't know who he was or what the hell had been going on, but suddenly she looked so pale and I didn't have any transportation. All I could do was trust this guy who was holding my friend in his arms like she was some sort of precious cargo and telling me that I could trust him because he was a member of the armed forces on leave and his medical training told him she needed to be examined properly.

"I had no choice but to let him take us. He parked illegally and carried her right into the emergency room. Then he wrote his number on a piece of paper and gave it to me saying he was returning to the Middle East in the morning but still wanted to know that my friend was okay. It turned out the events of that night were the best thing to have ever happened to Quinn. Routine screening that night at the hospital revealed that she was pregnant. She'd had no idea and it turned out to be only a few weeks. Even though she'd been disinherited, her family insurance still covered her and the hospital fast tracked her into a rehab program.

"She was there for nearly four months. It was hard being out of touch with her again at the beginning but it was what she needed to focus and get herself straight. Finding out she was pregnant was the motivation she needed to make rehab work. Her parents had tried to send her when she was younger but she'd resisted and relapsed because of not wanting to be there. This time it was different. This time she was doing it because she wanted to."

"Quinn came out a different person. She looked really good and the happiest I'd ever seen her. The first thing she did when she came out was ask for the number of the soldier who'd brought her in saying that she needed to thank him in person, just like she'd apologized to me for running away. That soldier was Artie, meeting for coffee when he returned on leave turned into dinner and the rest is the kind of history that belongs in a fairytale."

Sam was impressed. "Wow... They must have created one hell of an impression on each other!"

"I know. Afterwards, Quinn told me that that night, while he was carrying her to his car, he'd whispered that if she got herself cleaned up he'd take her out for coffee. Apparently thinking about that possible date and not wanting to disappoint me or lose her baby were the three things that got her through."

"So her son isn't Artie's? And he was okay with that? Does she know the father?"

"She has no idea who the father is and says she has no idea how to even find out. That whole section of her life is a bit of a blank. Whoever it was would've had to have been of a lowlife to have sex with her while she was out of her head and she and her son don't need someone like that in their lives, dragging her back to her past. When she found out the child was healthy she was so relieved because she'd worried all the drugs might have damaged it. Luckily Artie accepted both her and the fact that she was pregnant straight away. He can't have kids himself due to cancer treatment he'd had as a child, he was more than willing to bring Bam Bam up as his own."

"Okay so I have to ask, Bam Bam's not his real name is it?"

Mercedes laughed. "No! His name is Tom. I don't even know where Bam Bam came from but we're going to have to stop calling him that when he goes to school. Quinn named him after her brother."

"That's unusual. Are they close?"

She shook her head. "I never met him. He's dead- committed suicide when he was only fifteen!"

"Shit! No wonder Quinn's so messed up."

"I know. I have a theory," she looked at him carefully, "I don't even know why I'm telling you this because I've never voiced my suspicions aloud before and dare not bring it up with Quinn but... I think she may have been abused as a child."

"That's pretty serious."

"I know. But she's accidentally let slip random things at different times which I pieced together on my own. It started with her brother. She rarely mentioned him but when she did she said that he'd been her protector and things really went to shit with her family after he died. Apparently he was a loner who didn't trust people, and was a compulsive liar. His family said he hung himself because he couldn't handle the fact that he was gay. Quinn says he wasn't interested in men at all and it was only after he died that she started to act out, taking drugs to numb the pain. Apparently someone was giving her the drugs at first but she wouldn't say who or why because 'nobody believed her either'. I know it's not much, but when you've seen her as much as I have, and the way she used to swing between being promiscuous and not wanting to be touched it definitely rang alarm bells. There was someone who regularly used to visit their house that she still has nightmares about." She sighed, "My life was a fairy tale compared to hers but she still looks out for me. I just wish that I could be such a good friend to her!"

"You are!"

"But I'm not Sam! My friend is going through a crisis and all I was thinking was that I can't let her out of my sight. She's so vulnerable and instead of being as supportive as I could I was making sure she didn't have an opportunity to buy anything!"

"It's a reflex. Anyone would be extra careful with someone with her history."

"But she's more than just anyone, she has so much to lose and if anyone has the ability to score drugs on a moving plane despite having been through security, it's Quinn."

"But she didn't did she?"

"No."

"Exactly. Because she's a good person, you're her friend and you trust her. There's a difference between worrying about someone and not trusting them. Is she with someone who can look after her now?"

"She's staying with Momma CeeCee. It's where Bam Bam was while Quinn was here. She used to work at the rehab unit when Quinn was an inpatient and she retired shortly after. They stayed in touch and they're like the family to each other that they both never had. I call her Tina but Quinn calls her Momma CeeCee coz her surname is Cohen-Chang."

"See. You've provided her with an alternative family network."

"You don't get it Sam, that night she called me from the bar I nearly didn't go. I was pissed that she hadn't called for months then wanted me to come running."

"Sure you may have thought it for a second, but the important thing is that you did go. You were there for your friend when she needed you the most. Don't sell yourself short Mercedes, you're a good person who wouldn't hurt people."

She chuckled bitterly. "Unless I'm running away to Vegas and marrying a stranger!"

"But you didn't do this to intentionally hurt people did you?"

"Of course not. But sometimes actions speak louder than words. I tried words and they didn't work. You don't say no to men like my dad. He's very strong willed and you have to prove to him that something won't work rather than just telling him."

"Family does tend to be pretty random and crazy. Especially in my case. Don't you have any siblings to take your side?"

Mercedes sighed deeply and shook her head. "I haven't got any siblings."

"So you got to be an only child? Nice! I always wished I could have been one."

Again she shook her head. "It's not all it's cracked up to be."

"But you're not sharing the attention of your parents."

This time she fidgeted with her fingers and looked downright uncomfortable. "My parents are dead. I'm adopted Sam."

"Oh shit! I'm so sorry! That was so insensitive of me! And I'm sorry they're dead."

"It's okay. I'm sorry they're dead too but I don't remember them so it doesn't hurt as much as it should unless I see other people having what I didn't. In many ways I had a better childhood than others so I can't complain." She turned to the deepening colors of the canyon then suddenly shivered. The temperature had dropped with the sun and before she knew it, Sam was pulling off his hoodie and wrapping it around her. "You don't need to do that!"

"It's called chivalry Mercedes. Besides, even though it's getting colder and my butt is numb as hell, I'm not quite ready to leave this spot and this view just yet."

"Neither am I." She moved closer and wrapped her arms around his middle, "we just have to keep each other warm- not that I was trying to be funny- I just meant-"

Sam laughed at her frustration. "Don't worry. I get it. Why don't we change positions? If you sit between my legs with your back against my chest we'll both keep each other warm without it being improper."

She thought about it for a second before shifting her nearly numb limbs and moving in front of him, pressing her back against snugly against his chest and letting him wrap his arms around her for warmth. It was a disturbingly comfortable position and it enhanced the moment, making the magical sunset seem more shared.

Mercedes finally broke the new silence with a question of her own. "Tell me about your family. I like hearing about other people's families. How many brothers and sisters do you have?"

"One of each. Both younger than me. Stevie is seventeen and Stacey is fifteen. Everyone says we all look alike which isn't a compliment for be because they're both trouble. Stevie is the one who spotted the wedding pictures."

"So you forgot to tell them you were getting married."

"Yeah. Stevie thinks it's hilarious and wants to know if you have a younger sister. I'll break the bad news to him tomorrow. Apparently my sister is upset with me for missing out on the opportunity of being a bridesmaid and mom, well mom goes into hysterics just watching a Lifetime movie. I don't think she's fully comprehended this yet. Tomorrow I'll have my second attempt at explaining to her that this isn't real."

"I'm sorry I put you through that."

"Don't worry. She loves a good drama."

"And your dad?"

"Not in the picture. He left when I was ten. The best thing that ever happened to mom. I don't remember much about him, I probably blocked most of it out because I was more than old enough to, but the stuff I do remember were the arguments and the never feeling like I was good enough for him."

"That's a shame."

"Don't worry. It was much better after he left even with Stacey only being a few weeks old."

"He left a baby!"

"We were better without him. Mom said it was worth not having the child support just to never have to deal with him again."

"How could he do that to you all?"

"Clearly very easily. Things were hard, I won't lie, but we were happy. A house full of love is worth more than anything he could have given us. I know it sounds cheesy but my mom is my hero."

"I bet she's proud of you too."

"She won't be when I return from Vegas without my radiant bride."

"She might see the funny side."

"Here's hoping. This is the second time in three months she's got excited about me getting married only to have her hopes dashed. Last night I was talking her down from starting to make clothes for grandbabies!"

"Grandbabies! Oh Sam I am so sorry! I didn't think this through and I got you in trouble with your family."

He smiled and rested his chin on her shoulder snuggling closer without even realizing it.

"Don't worry. Being married to you so far has been some of the best fun I've ever had."

"You know what, aside from the Quinn drama, I've had fun too. The wedding was actually really nice and today has blown me away."

"Today's been the greatest."

As she shadows lengthened and darkness fell, so did the temperature. Before he could say something his stomach spoke for him.

Mercedes giggled, "Did I really just feel your tummy rumble?"

"Maybe..."

"Okay, I get the hint, let's go."

"We can stay if you want-"

"Sam, it's freezing, it's practically completely dark, I'm starving and I'm pretty sure you're buying dinner tonight!"

"Okay, let's go."

* * *

**_Sorry for cutting the chapter here. I tend to ramble at the best of times and Quinn's backstory really inspired me and made my imagination go wild so the chapter got too long. _**

**_Next chapter we'll learn about Sam's ex..._**


	7. Chapter 7

**El Tovar Hotel**

**Grand Canyon National Park**

The restaurant, just like the hotel, was posh. The prices were high and it made Sam conscious of the fact that he still had extremely limited funds, a fact Mercedes seemed oblivious to as she quickly ordered a house salad and a main of rainbow trout. After realizing that the salad was in fact cheaper than the appetizers, he did the same before opting for the Chicken Marsarla which was the cheapest meat dish.

"And would the lady like wine?"

Sam swallowed audibly as she smiled sweetly up at the waiter but she simply shook her head and closed the wine menu. "Your hotel's already kindly supplied us with a bottle of champagne in our room which we'll enjoy later. Just a bottle of sparkling water will be sufficient for now thank you."

He could have kissed her with relief as he nodded his agreement and relaxed a little. Despite his concerns he enjoyed the meal. The food was delicious and the portions far more generous than he expected. Even more enjoyable than the food was the company. If this had been any other scenario it would have felt like a good date. Only this wasn't a date, and yet somehow it was also _more_ than a date.

He watched with admiration as she talked and laughed, clearly enjoying his company as much as he did hers. Did Quinn know this would happen when she asked him to look out for her and keep her company? With everything he'd learned she'd been through, Quinn probably had to have learned the hard way how to become a judge of character. As they had throughout the day, they used the opportunity to learn more about each other. Sam found out that Mercedes was a business woman, trying to work her way up through the managerial ranks of the company she worked for, knowing that being a talented young black woman in world dominated by older traditional men caused her to have to work twice as hard just to be seen as half as good.

She'd been surprised when he told her his line of work. His late diagnosis of dyslexia had caused him problems throughout his schooling and was something his dad had always given him grief about, saying that he'd never amount to anything if all he did was draw pictures instead of applying himself to his writing skills. It now gave him complete satisfaction to be living evidence of how wrong the man was. He'd set up his own online niche market company, designing book covers and artwork for indie writers. With the internet giving rise to huge amounts of self publishing, people were flocking to make their work stand out in the virtual bookstores. And with his skills he was able to put the images they held in their heads into reality.

Then came the question that he'd been dreading. Conversation had turned to the unavoidable questions they were going to face from their families when they returned to Vegas. Mercedes fiddled with her fork. "Can I ask you a personal question Sam?"

"Sure. Why not. I got a lot out of you today."

"Well, it's just that there's something I've been wondering about with you... I know you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but... I was stunned when you agreed to do this for me. That first afternoon in the cafe you seemed really bitter about the idea of marriage, then today you mentioned something about your mom and a wedding. Were you supposed... were you going to be getting married at some point recently?"

Sam took a deep breath. It was still a really sore point for him, but she'd opened up to being adopted so he might as well let her in a bit too. After all, talking about things was supposed to help the healing process. And this was something he really hadn't felt like talking about with anyone. Suddenly he wished they _had_ ordered some wine to go with the meal and give him a little more courage. The least he could do was be honest with her. For now, this woman was his wife and they shouldn't have secrets. If he gave up his perhaps she'd be more willing to give up hers. "There's not much to say really. Her name was Kitty. We met standing in line while buying groceries of all places. Every week we'd see each other, helped partly by the fact that when I worked out when she'd be there I always made sure that my visits would coincide. She was hard work though. It took several asks before I finally got her to go out for a drink with me. After that it got easier. I thought she was adorable. She was so dainty and pretty that I found it easy to ignore the fact that she had a malicious streak. I was instantly besotted and quickly fell in love with her. I guess somewhere in the recesses of my mind I knew she didn't feel as strongly about me as I did about her. I just assumed it was because she wasn't as naturally affectionate as me and I could be affectionate for the both of us.

"There were warning signs and I chose to ignore them. I just thought I needed to try harder to win her. Everyone else tried to tell me she was drawing away but I simply couldn't see it. I was so sure that this was the one I was going to spend my life with. As the eldest child I'd been given my grandma's ring so I took her away for the weekend and proposed. In my head I'd decided that perhaps what she was needing from me was a grand gesture."

Her eyes softened and he could tell she could tell where this story was going. "You went though all that effort and she said no, right?"

"Not straight away. She said she needed time to think about it, but from that moment on I finally saw just how much colder she'd grown towards me. The journey back was awkward to say the least. Then three days later she finally had her answer. She agreed to marry me and accepted the ring provided we would have a simple wedding not a big deal with too many people. I was just so happy she said yes. Then two days later I got a text from her in the middle of day. It was just two words... **_I'm sorry_**. I rushed home and she was gone. All her things had gone from the apartment and it looked as if she'd never ever been there. She had to have waited for me to leave for work then completely cleared out. All that was left was a note to say that she needed a permanent break. She was going travelling alone and I shouldn't try to find her."

Mercedes reached across the table and took his hand. "Oh Sam, I'm so sorry."

He felt his eyes start to sting and he cleared his throat to regain his composure. "She said I was suffocating her and she couldn't handle being with me anymore. I spoke to her friend's who confirmed she'd booked a flight out of state. I was devastated. I just couldn't see how I'd got things so wrong."

"Don't blame yourself for being a loving person Sam. If she couldn't see what she was giving up then the loss is all hers."

"I guess so."

"I'm serious Sam. You were too good for her and were willing to put in effort when she wasn't. Don't beat yourself up over her bad attitude!"

"I know you're right. Everyone else says that too. It's just that I invested a lot of emotional energy into someone who clearly thought I wasn't worth it."

"You _are_ worth it Sam, she just didn't see your value. Are you sure she wasn't seeing someone else?"

"Positive. I know this sounds weird but if there was it would have made it easier if she was. But to realise that she actually preferred to be alone than be with me was a low blow. I had given her lots of space. She spent more time with her friends than she did with me. If I'd given her any more space I would have broken up with her!"

"Have you considered maybe that's what she was trying to do? Maybe she was trying to push you away by making you be the one to do the pushing."

"So why did she agree to marry me? Why did she completely disappear straight after like that?"

Mercedes stared at him and her jaw dropped as the truth dawned on her. "Bitch went off with you grandma's ring didn't she!"

Sam silently nodded, feeling the humiliation wash over him yet again for his stupidity, but the sensation of her squeezing his hand harder was strangely reassuring.

"Any woman who does something as heartless as that doesn't to have you feeling bad over her. Think of it this way, would you rather be spending today in some terrible parallel universe where you're unhappily married to her or be right here right now, living it up at one of the seven wonders of the world?"

He forced a smile. He knew what she was doing, she was trying to cheer him up. The strange thing was, it actually seemed to be working. "I guess you're right. If it wasn't for Kitty, Puck would never have been able to convince me to throw caution to the wind and take a random trip to Vegas."

"And if it wasn't for you, I'd still be facing my own disaster of a marriage."

"Is the guy you were suppose to marry really that bad?"

"No. Not really. He's a bit of an arrogant shithead but I'm the only one with any balls to try and actually get us out of this situation. He's totally harmless."

Sam nodded to himself. "Harmless... I like harmless. Have to admit the thought _had_ crossed my mind that I might be pulled into a dark corner and beaten to a pulp by some rejected lover because of all of this!"

Mercedes threw back her head and laughed hard, causing a couple from the next table to turn and stare. Sam didn't care. He really enjoyed the sound of it. It was the true deep laugh of someone who wasn't self-conscious. He continued to watch as she calmed herself and quickly wiped a stray tear which had escaped the corner of her eye. "I'm so sorry Sam. If you'd ever met Leo you'd know why that's so funny. The guy couldn't hurt a fly! The effort of swatting might put a crease in his always immaculate designer clothing!"

"So he's vain?"

"Extremely! Makes all the ladies swoon and he knows it. He's the proverbial _Candyman _that Christina Aguillera sang about."

Sam raised his eyebrow. "So you're turning down the chance to marry a man who can be described as 'a one stop shop with a real big co-"

Mercedes's sudden choking fit prevented him from finishing the last word but her reaction was enough to tell him that her description of him may well have come from personal experience.

"Uhm..." Even under the artificial lighting it was clear to see that she was blushing, "Let's just say he's not capable of loving anyone as much as he loves himself." She cleared her throat again. "Truth be told, you'd be hard pressed to find any ex of mine willing to beat a guy to a pulp for me."

"Really? Gorgeous girl like you? I can't believe that!"

"I work too hard to date seriously. This little trip of mine's been long overdue which is why I'm splashing out. So... how was the chicken?"

Again with the evasive tactics. But at least Sam knew he wasn't in any impeding danger. At least not from any men who were skeletons in her closet. The only danger he faced was his attraction to the girl himself.

When the menu for sweets was brought around Mercedes simply shot the waiter another winning smile and told him that she was watching her figure. _I'm watching your figure too_ thought Sam as for the millionth time he eyed the generous curve of her breasts. His thoughts was interrupted by the waited whose words he'd completely missed. "I'm sorry?"

"I asked if you'd like the meal to be put on your room account or would you prefer to settle it now?"

"Now please."

There was a moment of sweat while he waited for his card to be accepted, and when it was he heaved a sigh of relief.

"You didn't have to skip dessert just for me!" Sam said as he followed her up to their room.

"I didn't. We have dessert waiting for us in our room!" She bit her lip in embarrassment and he smiled. The way that her nervousness constantly led to inadvertent innuendo both amused and relaxed him, reminding him that he wasn't the only one finding this strange situation sometimes painful. This time he decided to play along. "I guess we _are_ technically on our honeymoon _so_..." The look of utter mortification on her face made him end the ruse far too quickly. "You should see your face Mercedes! I'll be a perfect gentleman, I promise."

Mercedes was already yawning as they reached the room and she froze mid yawn when they found the bed already turned down and the champagne on ice. "I guess they really_ are_ expecting us to be treating this like a honeymoon!"

He looked at her and noted the weariness. "You look tired Mercedes."

"I am. It's been a long day and I didn't really sleep last night worrying about Quinn."

"So get some rest. I can go take a walk or something."

"No Sam. You have every right to be in here. I know it's still early but we have champagne and chocolates to eat for dessert if you're up for it?"

"Okay. I guess I'm pretty worn out myself. Maybe there's a movie on the TV that can kill a couple of hours."

"Fantastic idea!" She perched on the edge of the bed as he turned on the TV before groaning and flopping backwards onto the bed heavily and groaning. "I'm so tired, but damned if I'm going to sleep before opening those chocolates.

Sam laughed at her. She looked like a child fighting sleep because they didn't want to miss out on anything happening around them. "Mercedes, its fine to crash out if you want to. I'll promise to save you one of the chocolates for the morning."

"Oh hell no!" She jumped up and grabbed her bag, "I'm going to freshen up. When I get back I expect to see champagne poured, chocolates opened and a movie on the TV. But if any of those chocolates get eaten before I've had a chance to read the contents card you'll face the wrath of a woman who's had chocolate withheld. And believe me it isn't pretty!"

Sam rolled his eyes and gave her a mock salute. "Aye aye cap'n!"

"Don't mock or the scarf comes out!"

"Scarf?"

"You'll see."

And he did. She disappeared into the bathroom and reappeared ten minutes later in a pajama set consisting of sorts and a shirt, both covered in pink hearts and yellow bears. Her exposed thighs made him wonder how fun it would be to test just how much strength they had in them.

Sadly the scowl on her face was very real. "If you laugh I will hurt you." Her tone told him she wasn't messing so he valiantly fought the upturn of his lips.

She looked down at herself and the outfit she was wearing. "When I packed for this trip, I want exactly expecting to be married. And... Well these were a gift so... I like them, they're cute!"

"I didn't contradict you. I think they're very… you…" After a quick scan of her very womanly body in incredibly childlike sleepwear, his eyes returned to her head. "So I'm guessing that's the scarf you were threatening?"

Her hands instantly flew up to the knotted Square of black satin which completely enclosed her hair. "It's a necessity."

Suddenly his ran back to one of the random pieces of relationship information that Puck was constantly telling him and he was constantly ignoring. For the first time this actually seemed relevant. It was a conversion recently held about friend zoning. 'If a black woman lets you see her with her hair wrapped for the night before you've ever had the sweet stuff from her, then you're _never_ gonna be getting the sweet stuff from her. That shit only gets worn around girlfriends. If a man gets to see it, he's either gay or they're married so long he's no longer getting the sweet stuff. Either way, the man's definitely _not_ getting any! Right now those words were making him feel better. Not that anything was going to happen between them here tonight, or ever for that matter, but seeing the scarf brought a finality to this that he wasn't yet ready for. Before he could overthink it he changed his tactic and held a filled flute out to her. "Champagne?"

"Wait a second!" She leaped onto the bed. "Which side do you want?"

"I don't care."

"Good coz I'm choosing this one." Taking the side that was already turned down she quickly climbed in, turning to prop her pillow up against the headboard before leading back against it and making herself comfortable. She then reached out her hand and he passed her the glass.

"Comfy?"

"Yes thanks." She took a sip, nodding in approval at the clean taste before looking around. "Where's the chocolates?"

He held them up in his hand. "You need to choose a movie first. The selection's dire but I guess they're not expecting people to come here to watch movies. So from the best of the bunch it's either Ocean's Eleven or High School Musical."

She shot him a look so dirty it practically had its own odour. "Please tell me you're lying when you say High School Musical!"

Sam pretended to think about it before succumbing to the cycle that was bubbling or if him at her reaction. "Okay, I am. The other choice is The Day After Tomorrow."

"They're both ancient!"

"I know. But you should have seen the list of ones I eliminated!"

"Ugh, this is bad. I choose... Ocean's Eleven because it sticks with the Vegas theme. Plus it's a great combination of handsome men to keep me happy with a decent plot to keep you occupied."

"And Julia Roberts."

"You can have Julia Roberts. I get George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Don Cheadle as well as the cute little Chinese guy. So I think I win hands down on the eye candy front! Now hurry up and bring those chocolates!" She patted the space in the bed next to her and Sam decided to accept the invitation before she changed her mind, climbing into the opposite side of the bed still fully dressed and using the champagne bottle and chocolate box to establish a safe distance between them.

As the movie started, Mercedes examined the chocolates. "It's a pretty box but there's only actually eight of them in here," she lamented.

"Am I going to have to fight you for the best ones?"

"Nope. We can share." Reaching in she pulled out the first chocolate. "This one's vanilla truffle." She bit half then held the other half to his lips. Without even thinking he let her feed it to him, the intimate action feeling strangely normal. "Nice?"

"Mmmhmm." He didn't trust himself to speak as the flavor on his tongue battled with the tingle on his lips where her fingers had fleetingly brushed against them. This wasn't good at all. It was wrong of him to be feeling like this.

Mercedes on the other hand appeared to be totally unaffected, sipping her champagne and focusing on the screen. Moments later she handed him the box. "Your turn to choose."

He studied the card for a second before making his choice, biting into it then feeding her the other half. She smiled as she chewed, "Praline!"

"Correct."

After a few moments she chose another and fed him the remnant of the orange fondant creme. "You know, this reminds me of The Vow."

"The Vow?"

"It's a movie. I doubt you would've seen it because it's one of the ultimate chick flicks but the married couple in it have this thing where they always share a box of chocolates..." Her voice faded as if she'd caught herself oversharing and she suddenly found Ocean's Eleven riveting.

Sam did another of his sideways glances at her. He found he was doing it a lot, but he didn't want to be too obvious with the amount he found himself staring at her. Even with the dreaded scarf on her head, he was still drawn to her features, most prominently those lips which he had decided to 'accidentally' brush his fingers against as he fed her chocolate.

"Okay so this is the last one I'm doing," Mercedes picked the penultimate chocolate from the box, "you can have the last one all to yourself coz it's Turkish Delight and everyone knows that shit tastes like soap."

He shook his head. "I'll pass on it too. It tastes like eating perfume!"

"Cool." Mercedes took the box and put it on the bedside table beside her before turning to him. "You have to come in closer. This one's caramel so we'll have to be quick."

He leaned in as she bit the chocolate and opened his mouth to receive his half, watching as a long string of caramel descended onto her bottom lip and a small deposit hit her chin.

"Good?"

He nodded, unable to speak or take his eyes of the tiny streak of caramel on her bottom lip. Instead he pointed, "You have some..."

"Oh." She quickly ran her tongue over her bottom lip and he wanted to groan. The desire to reach over and suck that piece off caramel from her lip had been so strong he'd actually stopped breathing for a moment.

"And you still have a bit on your chin..."

She wiped her chin with the back of her hand, but somehow she still managed to miss it.

"Here, let me..." Before he knew it he'd leaned forward and wiped it away with his thumb, his fingers grazing her cheek as he did so. His face was close now, too close. Any closer and he would be kissing her. It wouldn't be hard, there was only inches between them and she was looking into his eyes with an expression that wasn't saying no...

It was only a few seconds but it felt like a moment suspended in time as gazed at her from his close proximity and watched as her lips parted invitingly. The last time their faces had been this close had been during the ceremony and that one semi chaste kiss had ignited him far more than any of the kisses towards the end of his relationship with Kitty.

He was so close now that he could feel the warmth of her breath against his lips and saw the question in her eyes.

And then it was over.

"More champagne?" Mercedes jerked back and threw him once more back into reality. Ashamed, he quickly nodded and moved back to his side of the bed, holding out his glass to her. She poured one for him and another for herself, instantly downing half the contents in several long swallows, all the while shifting so that her eyes were glued to the screen. In a mirror action, he too took several gulps of his drink as he tried to calm his beating heart.

What the hell had he nearly just done? He was lucky she hadn't slapped him! He'd told her she'd be safe get he was acting like a predator.

After an age of her not moving her head away from the screen he risked another sideways glance. Was she really concentrating on the movie or was her mind racing just like his was?

As well as the recriminations of his seedy actions, there was also another set of thoughts going through his head. He was enjoying being married far more than he should have been. Mercedes was fun to explore the Grand Canyon with, but she was also fun to chill out and watch a movie with. For some reason he imagined an older married couple sat up in bed both wearing their glasses while watching TV or reading. It was embarrassing to admit but he liked the idea of that. He'd thought he'd get that with Kitty, but she'd always just pop a sleeping pill, pull a sleep mask over her eyes and turn her back to him. She was by his side but she wasn't a companion. In two days Mercedes had acted far more like a companion, making him laugh when they travelled and seeming interested whenever he had something to say, rather than the perpetually bored expression that Kitty had etched into her face, prematurely aging her.

Why couldn't Kitty have been more like Mercedes? He finally got married to someone who suited him, only for it not to be a real marriage, or even a long term arrangement. How the hell was that fair? Why did this have to end before he could explore it?

Mercedes still seemed riveted to the movie. Maybe she was actually enjoying it, rather than being plagued with over thinking thoughts like he was. Things were starting to get good on screen. Saul was looking deathly ill and things were about to go down. Before he knew it, Sam became invested in the movie himself. By the time the group met outside the Bellagio fountain, she was slumped against the pillow, fast asleep, the thankfully empty champagne glass precariously tilted between her fingers. Gently he eased it from her hand and placed it safely on his bedside table.

"I wasn't sleeping," she murmured as she sank further under the covers.

"Uh huh..." He smiled as she adjusted her pillow and snuggled lower.

"I'm just going to watch from a lying down position..."

"Sure you are," he muttered with a smile.

By the time to movie ended it was well after ten and Sam had been steadily stifling his own yawns. Mercedes had completely gone, and he reluctantly turned off the TV. Returning from his bedtime bathroom business, he noticed Mercedes hadn't moved an inch. Walking round the bed he switched off the light on her side and pulled the comforter up over her shoulders, taking a moment to watch her sleep. Then he returned to his side and climbed in, casting her one final look before turning out his light.

Unable to resist, he placed the softest breath of a kiss on her cheek. "Goodnight darlin'."

Then he turned over and shut his eyes. The only way he was going to get any sleep was if he turned his back to her.

* * *

The sudden sensation of the bed dipping brought Mercedes half way back from her sleep. She knew she wasn't dreaming but neither was she quite awake. Even with her eyes closed she could still sense the light being turned off and the room being plunged into darkness. She was warm and comfortable and... Happy? Content? She didn't know what the feeling was, all she knew was that she liked it.

Then she felt his eyes on her and the bed dipping slightly before feeling his lips brushing her cheek gently. "Goodnight darlin'."

Goodnight Sam! She replied in her head, not daring to let on that she was awake. And then she felt him turn. As soon as she was sure he was facing away from her she opened her eyes and smiled, the kiss burning into her cheek as if it had been branded there with an iron...


	8. Chapter 8

_**Long chapter but I needed to move the plot along a bit!**_

* * *

**Day 4:**

**El Tovar Hotel **

**Grand Canyon National Park**

Mercedes didn't need to open her eyes to know that he was staring at her. It both thrilled and annoyed her at the same time. The man no business looking at a woman when she was a hot mess as she woke up! And if the damn scarf had dislodged in her sleep she would have to simply resign herself to die the slow death of bad hair shame.

It was nice being under the covers, but being stared at meant she couldn't just lie there and enjoy it the way she wanted to. "Sam, if you stare any harder, you're going to bore holes in my face!"

She could _hear_ him smile in response. "Even with two holes in your face you'd still look cute!"

_And false compliments were beyond unnecessary._ "No woman looks cute first thing in the morning. We have to get up and put 'cute' on!"

"That's a lie and my evidence of that is lying right in front of me. Open your eyes and you'll see what I mean."

She opened them, fully intending to glare at the man who'd been staring at her so hard he'd woken her from her delicious sleep, but his smiling green eyes, fabulous bedhead and downright sexy morning stubble blew any harsh thoughts straight out of her head. How could she glare at him when staring into his eyes only brought back an instant flashback to the 'almost kiss' from the night before? The whole thing had been wrong. Damn that caramel! She should have stopped him sooner, she should have been stronger. But how could she when his eyes had this unfailing power to make her completely melt into a puddle of wet pathetic goo? His face had held that same expression that had come over him at the altar and she sure as hell knew that she'd wanted him to kiss her and to hell with the consequences.

But the fact that they were already in a bed, and she'd been consuming alcohol meant that things had the potential of getting very messy indeed. If there was one thing she knew about herself, it was that she should never mix alcohol and men! But all this was far too much to think about when he was still staring right at her. Instead, she decided to bring her mind to the current moment. "What time is it?"

"Nearly eight."

She reached for her phone on the bedside table but there was no reception and no messages. She needed an update on the Quinn/Artie situation, but that wasn't going to happen until they were a little closer to home. Yes she could have used the hotel Wi-Fi, but she was making a point of being unreachable. There were only a few more short hours before she had to face reality. With a sigh she replaced the phone. "Is it wrong that we're at the most incredible place in the world and I just want to lie here a little longer?"

"Nope. I feel the same. What time to we need to check out?"

Mercedes yawned widely and stretched underneath the covers. "Not just yet."

"Fine by me! This bed is seriously comfy."

"It must have been. I slept right through. I hope I didn't bother you too much. Quinn says sometimes I move a lot in my sleep when I'm dreaming."

He grinned. "She's right! You were pretty restless."

"Oh hell. I hope I didn't hit you or steal the covers."

"No. Nothing like that. Although at one point you were spooning me!"

"Spooning!" She blushed, "Oh hell! Why didn't you just push me away?"

"Why would I have done that? It was pretty comfy. Dare I say…_snug…_"

"Don't mock me Sam!"

"I'm not."

"Besides, you probably snored."

"Probably? So you slept next to me all night and you're not sure?"

"Quit picking on me or I'll scream you to death with my foul morning mouth. Why didn't you wake me to brush my teeth?"

"You were so peaceful I couldn't bear it."

_Sure. But you could kiss my cheek huh!_

Again she wanted to glare at him but found herself shutting her eyes and turning her back, pulling up the covers around her because he was gazing at her with an expression that said he could quite happily kiss her nasty morning mouth if she'd let him and there was no way she could deal with it.

Why put temptation out there like that? "I just wish there was a way that we could just lounge around for a bit before having to join the rest of the word," she murmured into the covers.

"So do I." She felt him shift his position. She'd woken to see him propped up on one elbow looking at her and now he seemed to be lying back down again.

"Well we have another half hour. I took a liberty last night and ordered breakfast in bed." She was glad to be facing away from him as she said the words.

He paused. "You did?"

"Yeah. I know I said you were on food duty for this trip, but I already knew that I wouldn't be ready to rush to get dressed and be around people this morning. Today I'm going to need my coffee before I even hit the shower."

"I can't believe you did that without saying anything to me!"

"I was going to but then I thought it would be a nice surprise for the morning so that we don't have to rush."

There was another pause. "So you charged it to the room?"

She cringed for a moment before speaking up, hoping he wouldn't be upset. "I had to. It's the only way I could have placed the order without disappearing to the front desk and you wondering what I was up to. Besides, they think we're on honeymoon so they were practically expecting it…"

"I suppose…"

She sighed. She knew exactly what was going through Sam's mind. She'd seen his expression when he looked at the food menu the night before and she'd done her best to order as cheaply as possible. From what she remembered him overhearing him tell Puck when they first met at the diner, he would have had enough spare cash on his card to cover their McDonald's breakfast and the pricey evening meal, but not a lot else, especially as he'd paid for a couple of little souvenir trinkets for his mom and siblings. He would have worried about how to pay for breakfast and she didn't want him to. There was nothing that she would be able to do to show just how grateful she was to him for going through with this for her. Spending cash which wasn't even hers was nothing for her.

"Thanks Mercedes."

She hadn't expected him to cave so quickly, but knew that it was the most dignified thing he could do. His words were quiet and she wondered if he'd figured out why she'd done this. Feeling uncomfortable herself she decided to change the subject. "The food is coming at half eight so I'm going to shut my eyes for just a little longer…"

* * *

Breakfast was fun. When the knock came on the door Sam immediately leaped up and she let him, knowing he would at least want to handle the gratuity. Instead she freshened up in the bathroom quickly.

"Table or bed?"

Sam had put the trays on the table and pulled out a chair for her but she simply climbed back onto the bed. "Let's make this a morning picnic."

Minutes later they were sat half on, half in the bed, with a pot of coffee and trays of food precariously balanced on the comforter. "This is going to make one hell of a mess if we knock it over!"

"So we won't knock it over!" Sam winked at her as he lifted the cover of the first tray to reveal toasted bagels, smoked salmon and cream cheese, with a side of fresh fruit and yogurt. "This looks great!"

The second tray had a portion of pancakes and the third a plate piled high with prime rib hash.

"Wow! How are we going to eat all this for breakfast?"

"We're not!" Mercedes winked before reaching for her purse and grabbing a couple of Ziploc bags. "I was thinking we might get a little hungry on the bus back and it would be the perfect time to have the bagels. I would've been too embarrassed to do this if we'd eaten downstairs in the restaurant."

She ignored his shocked but impressed expression as she quickly made up the bagels and sealed them in the bags. "Mercedes Jones, who the hell _are_ you?"

"What do you mean?"

"All this expensive stuff, and you walk around with Ziploc bags to make sandwiches for later from the breakfast?"

"I'm just a normal girl Sam. That's all I've ever wanted to be. Just let me enjoy it while it lasts!"

She knew she sounded defensive but she really didn't need him prying into her life right now, not when it was all about to hit the fan and come out anyway. She knew it was confusing him and frustrating him, but he didn't know that it was for his own protection as well as hers. If he knew who her father was he might not have done this. Or worse still, it might have made him do this for the wrong reasons. After being burned once she was never going to let it happen again. Her heart would never be able to handle it happening again.

"I'm sorry Sam. I guess I'm just so used to being independent that I find it hard when people question my choices." Thankfully he seemed to accept her lame excuse of a response. "Anyway, we can leave our bags here until we need to go so it'll stay cool."

"You sound just like my mom!"

She eyed him skeptically. "I do?"

"Yeah. I don't mean it in a bad way. She was always looking out for us and doing thing like this. It just shows that you have a caring nature like she does."

"Sam, from what you've told me about your mom, I'm proud to be compared to her."

He just smiled and put yet another pancake half on her plate despite her protests. "We can't take these with us Mercedes, so eat!"

"Are you trying to fatten me up Sam?"

He cast her a look that lingered fractionally too long on her breasts. "You're perfect just as you are. This may only be a short lived arrangement, but I don't want anyone saying I didn't take care of my wife so eat up. We're going to do hiking today and you'll need the energy. Besides, this hash is _really _good, and I'm not going to be quite so generous with my sharing portions with that!"

The awkward moment passed and they settled, happily eating breakfast in bed while watching the news on the TV. It wasn't until she stepped into the shower that she truly thought about how domestic they were being with each other. Considering they'd been strangers just a couple of days before, they seemed to fit each other like a glove. Not only were they married on paper, they seemed to be scarily compatible too. The way they behaved was like a real couple, only without the sex. Not that she'd say no to sex with that fine specimen of a man just the other side of the door. But it would complicate things as well as potentially destroying any chance of getting an annulment.

But sex with Sam… Last night her eyes had been on the screen but her thoughts had been somewhere else entirely. The sexual tension between them was undeniable. It had been there since the first moment they'd laid eyes on each other. Initially she'd been relieved when Puck had said he would go through with the marriage because it would be easier to keep him at arm's length, but Sam, he just seemed to generate his own center of gravity which pulled on her relentlessly. If it was just the physical reaction, she could get a handle on that, but this was worse. She actually _liked _him. He made her smile, he made her laugh, he made her feel part of something bigger.

But he was also a man the rebound from a serious relationship ending, which was why she _really_ shouldn't have been thinking about his oversized hands while soaping herself down in the shower. His hands and her skin would be a lethal combination of ecstasy and pleasure which would probably completely break her. Why was she such a sucker for ridiculously good looking men? Quinn had it just right. Artie was just the right side of adorably geeky, with the body of a man who needed to prove himself by working out. And those eyes of his stole the show. A lot like Sam's eyes…

She turned off the shower and forced herself to stop thinking about the man who was just the other side of the door waiting for his turn to use the bathroom.

Today was going to be one hell of a day for so many reasons…

* * *

Mercedes' head jerked up as the bus suddenly slowed, turning off the route that they had been following for the last couple of hours. When had her head fallen and rested on Sam's shoulder? Not that he seemed to mind it being there, but she wasn't going to be taking advantage. It had been a long day. After checking out of the hotel they'd decided to take a walk down a section of the Bright Angel Trail, talking, laughing and taking in the amazing vistas. There were moments when the ground under her feet was a little slippery or sections of mule droppings that she had to navigate around, and Sam's strong hand was always there to support her. What would have been good was to have the hand without the resulting tingles that went with it. He was just a guy helping her out. So why was she constantly having to remind herself of this fact over and over? In a few short days this marriage would be over and they would be going back to their own separate lives. But she didn't need to think about that just yet.

After the walk, there was time for a short rest and an ice cream, paid for by Sam's remaining loose change before heading back. Rather than have to endure one of the full sized motor coaches, they were picked up in a twelve seated minivan belonging to an adventure travel company. They would leave the canyon slightly earlier to get to the Hoover Dam with enough time to take a tour before the mass arrival of bus loads of standard tour travelers, and arriving in Vegas early evening with enough time for the night not to be totally lost. Both she and Sam had music to face and it couldn't be put off forever.

"Hey sleepy head! Enjoy your nap? We're about to take a twenty minute restroom break. Do you need to go?"

She shook her head and yawned. "I'm good. I just need to stretch my legs a bit." They took a short walk, deciding not to buy any of the overpriced tourist souvenirs before returning to the bus to eat their pre-packed bagels like a proper married couple.

Mercedes pretended that it didn't make her giddy the moment when a slow man got in her way and Sam politely asked him to move aside so that his wife could pass. Yes they were technically married, but hearing Sam actually refer to her as his wife when he didn't need to made her stomach flip in a very good way.

The next stop was the Hoover Dam, and after a short tour and a million more photographs, they were back on the road to Vegas. Finally the moment she'd been dreading arrived and she switched on her phone to a multitude of messages, emails and voicemails. Most of the messages she ignored. They weren't important, just people being nosy into her life and wanting first-hand information so that they could gossip as if they knew what they were talking about. Voicemails she played only to hear who they were from, skipping the actual messages, until she got to one from Quinn. It was her sounding excited and saying that Artie was stable and would be air lifted home on the next available flight. The next message was also from Quinn but she sounded more serious. "Mercedes, Kurt called to ask about you. Obviously he knows I was at the wedding but he didn't even talk about that. He says its urgent that he speaks to you. Something about his voice made me think it actually was serious. I told him that you went to the Grand Canyon with Sam but you should be back tonight. He already knows you're staying at the Bellagio. I think you must have told him that. I really think you should give him a call when you get this message. It might be something to do with your dad…"

The next message was from Kurt. So were the following five. He was clearly desperate to reach her and she knew in the pit of her belly it couldn't be for anything good. Before she even had a chance to dial his number, the phone rang in her hand.

"Where the hell have you been?" It had been a long time since she'd heard him this upset.

"I'm fine thanks Uncle Kurt, and how are you today?"

"Quit playing Mercedes!" There was no trace of humor in the old man's voice which instantly put her on the alert. "I've been calling every fifteen minutes for the last two hours!"

"I'm on honeymoon, I didn't want to be disturbed!"

"Well you're going to be disturbed by this. Your father's been rushed to hospital!"

Mercedes gasped and instantly wilted. Was it because of what she'd done? Sam turned to her with an expression of concern but all she could concentrate on was the familiar voice down the phone. "Daddy? Is he okay? What happened?"

"He had bad stomach pain after a business lunch. At first he thought it was something he'd eaten, then the pain became worse and started in his chest."

_Oh no! She'd literally given him a heart attack!_

"Are you with him now?"

"Of course. The hospital called me straight away. He's still being examined and I'll let you know as soon as I know more."

"Thanks. I'm so sorry! This is all my fault-"

"Just get here Mercedes. Everything else can be discussed in person."

"I'm just leaving the Hoover Dam. We're on a bus but I'll be on the first available flight and I'll come straight to the hospital."

"You do that. Look, there's a nurse coming so I have to go…"

"You'll keep me posted, right?"

"I will."

She ended the call and released a slow stream of air. It felt as if all the blood had drained from her body. Sam looked beyond worried but waited patiently for her to speak. She knew he'd heard her side of the conversation and needed to understand what was happening.

"My dad… I think he's had a heart attack. I need to go straight back."

Sam removed his seatbelt and pulled her into an embrace. "Do what you have to do."

She clung to him for a moment. "This is all my fault!"

He released her and looked her dead in the eye. "No blaming yourself Mercedes. Just go to him. That's what you need. I'll help you look for flights. What's the soonest time you think you'll be able make it to the airport to check in and fly?"

* * *

**San Francisco International Airport**

**California**

Mercedes head felt like it was full of fog as she made her way through Arrivals. All through the flight she'd been able to think of nothing other than the hurt that she'd caused from her foolish actions. If her dad died because of this she would never forgive herself. Worse still, despite the horror of the situation, there were random unbidden moments when she thought back over the last few days and recalled times that she'd enjoyed. For the first time she'd felt truly alive. But at what cost? The one time she found something that made her happy, something else had to take the fall. And it was a hard fall.

She thought about the hurt expression on Sam's face as she'd walked away from him at the airport. At first he'd thought he would never see her again until she reminded him she needed to return to Vegas to sort out the annulment. It sounded like a cruel thing to be thinking about at a time like this, but if Mercedes was one thing, that thing would be practical.

With her head swimming with thoughts, she was so focused on getting to the taxi rank before the line became too long that she nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard her name and simultaneously felt a hand on her arm.

"You shouldn't me making an old man like me have to run after you!"

"Uncle Kurt!" She willingly fell into his arms and for the first time since she'd heard the news, tears started to stream down her face as he held her. "What's the latest? How is he? Is he in much pain? Will they have to operate?"

"Calm down little one, calm down. It's all fine."

"Fine? How can it be fine when he's in hospital?"

"He's been released. It was a false alarm. An excruciating and extremely embarrassing case of trapped wind!"

"A false alarm?"

"Yep. He was released about two hours ago after a battery of tests. Nothing wrong with his heart. It was just the stress of being in pain. I wanted to go back home with him but he wanted me to come and meet you and give you the good news straight away."

She held him close again, relishing the familiar smell of his Old Spice cologne and the tickle of his moustache against her skin as he tenderly kissed her cheek. Uncle Kurt was he favorite and she loved him being around as she grew up. For as long as she remembered he always had the salt and pepper well groomed hair, and smartly clipped moustache, but his rounded face had a cheeky boyish charm that he never seemed to grow out of. She knew she was ruining his usually pristine clothes by crushing him but she didn't care one bit. "And he's going to be okay?"

"Strong as an ox, you know that!"

She sniffed and offered him a watery smile. "Yeah I do."

"He'll be glad to see you."

She allowed him to lead her and before long they approached the waiting vehicle. Kurt opened her door and let her in before walking around to the other side and settling in himself and signalling for the driver to go. However much she told him she was happy to just scooch over and let him get in behind her he never did, preferring to do things the long way. "Were you waiting for me long?"

"No. I knew what flight you were on."

"You did?" Her heart began to pound. There was only one way he would have been able to find that out.

"I called the Bellagio and asked to be put through to your suite. I was hoping to catch you before you left when I couldn't get through on your cell. Obviously you weren't there so I spoke to your husband."

He paused and waited. He'd watched Mercedes growing up and knew her as if she were his own child. Set the bait, supply the rope and wait for her to hang herself.

"I know what you're going to say, Uncle Kurt."

"Good. Because that saves me about thirty minutes worth of lecturing." He paused again and watched her carefully, deciding to try her from another angle. "Obviously I already know that the two of you you had words before your totally out of character attempt at running away to Vegas."

Knowing that Kurt was her only chance at getting through to her father, her voice took on a note of desperation. "He wants me to marry Leo!"

"And you don't want to."

"Of course not!"

He nodded slowly. "I told him you'd say that but he didn't listen to me."

"I can't marry him just for a business arrangement!"

"I know. I suspect he was thinking more along the line of you two being soulmates."

"Soulmates? Leo?"

Kurt shook his head dismissively. "You'll have to talk to him about that. I have my own separate set of questions."

"I know you do. But in my defense I want to say that _you're_ the one who's been telling me for years that I should just take some time out, go on vacation and let my hair down. In fact I seem to remember _you _suggesting Vegas!"

He glared at her. "I did. But I was thinking more along the lines of cocktails and shows not little chapels and husbands! You'd been there for _one day!_"

She knew he was angry with her and yet she still couldn't help the little flutter at the top of her stomach when he mentioned the word _husband. _It was like the moment that Sam had referred to her as his wife. It sounded like something… something that maybe she actually wanted!

Kurt wasn't done by a long shot. "Of all the things you could have done Mercedes, marriage was the one thing that hurt him the most, you know that don't you!"

She bowed her head, ashamed. "He wanted me to get married for a business deal! If he could treat it lightly, then so could I!"

Kurt shook his head. He knew Mercedes wasn't the kind of girl to take things lightly. He was the one who spent years trying to get her to be less like her father and more impulsive. She was serious and sensible. Fun was something always deferred to another time which never came. He'd been shocked but proud when she'd texted to tell him that she was following his advice, spontaneously booking a week off work and heading to Vegas with her unsuspecting friend. The marriage, on the other hand, well there had to be something deep rooted for her to pull something crazy like that off. He looked her firmly in the eye, "This is me you're talking to. I've changed your diaper and kissed your grazed knees. You will always be that little girl who could never lie convincingly enough too get herself out of trouble. Just get straightto the truth!"

"I don't know what the truth is!"

"Yes you do!"

_Damn him! _"Okay I do. I was scared. I didn't want to marry Leo and daddy wasn't taking no for an answer. I needed to put myself in a position that would make it impossible for the marriage to take place to buy time to find alternative ways to merge the families."

"So because you think something is a bad idea you just go ahead and do something which is an even worse idea? You married a complete stranger! He could have been a complete psycho!"

"Sam isn't a psyco! I don't think I could have chosen a better person if I'd planned it for months!" The strength and passion in her defense surprised even her.

Kurt shot her a look full of suspicion. "I know you're normally careful but we both know you weren't thinking right. I want to know more about this Sam Evans character that you married. Who is he? What is he? How long have you known him? Did you sign a prenup or is it going to be expensive getting rid of him? How much does he know about your connections?"

"Nothing. He doesn't know anything about me!"

"Are you sure? Nothing at all?"

"Positive." Despite herself, her mouth formed into a small smile, "I think that's why I like him…"

* * *

**Bellagio Hotel, ****Presidential Suite**

**Las Vegas**

"Were you asleep?"

"Nope." It wasn't a complete lie, although he _had _been resting his eyes a little. He shifted and looked at his watch, stunned to discover it was nearly midnight

"I'm sorry I didn't send you a message earlier. I got a bit caught up talking to Uncle Kurt. I hope you weren't waiting up for a response from me."

"I'm just chilling here on the couch. I just found an episode of Rawhide in black and white to watch."

"Wow! That's old!"

"Yeah it is. So how's your dad doing?"

"Apparently he's okay. It was a false alarm. Just some really bad trapped gas and the pain stressed him and made him worry and have palpitations. He was already asleep before he got here. I snuck into his room just to see him with my own eyes but I won't get to speak with him until I see him in the morning. Uncle Kurt met me at the airport and updated me on the situation."

"Your uncle's an interesting character."

"That's an understatement. I heard that he called and I'm sorry about that. I hope he didn't threaten you!"

"No he didn't. Although he's not someone that you say no to either!"

"I know. But he's harmless and he's extremely protective of me. As soon as I saw him at arrivals I knew he had to have given you some kind of hell."

"It wasn't hell but I did feel judged. I hope whatever it was I passed."

"So do I…" Her voice was so soft he wondered if he imagined those last words. There was a pause, "Sam, is Puck with you?"

"No. He hasn't come back to the suite yet tonight. Why?"

"It's just I… I wondered if maybe you just had a minute… just to talk? Normally I'd call Quinn but she has so much going on right now…"

He could hear the emotion in her voice and couldn't bear to her upset. It had been a really long day for her.

"Hey, it's fine. We can talk as long as you need. I'm not going anywhere and I'm here for you. You should know that by now."

He heard her sigh. "Thanks Sam. We can't let any information be leaked about dad's health and Kurt is great but he's also old and needs his sleep too which means… well you're the only other person who knows so…"

Sam's ears pricked up. Information being leaked? Was her dad someone famous or influential? Was he the mysterious benefactor? He'd tried hard to see the second name on the platinum credit card that Mercedes had used to pay for the hotel and the flight. All his eyes could tell was that the other surname was longer than Jones and possibly began with the letter A. Surely her father would be a Jones too? Perhaps there was some kind of sugar daddy involved. Whatever it was he knew he wasn't about to find out right now. Instead, it took all his power to bite his tongue as he literally heard her walls go up through the phone and she sighed again, sounding utterly miserable. "What if I did this Sam? What if I stressed him out so much that it made him sick?"

"I can't imagine that's what's happened."

"He's an old man. He's in his seventies and he had hopes. I dashed them by being reckless. I didn't even have the balls to tell him what I'd done. I knew he'd hear about it through the video on my Facebook. All my years of being a dutiful daughter and one act of recklessness nearly kills him!"

"You said he was fine! It was just gas."

"And what if they were wrong? What if they missed something?"

"They're the professionals. You have to leave it to them."

"I don't know what I'd do if something would happen to him, Sam. Uncle Kurt would die for sure and I will too."

"You must love him a lot."

"I do. So much. We're very different but in some ways we're the same."

Sam could hear her getting more and more upset and tried to think of something to calm her down. "Tell me about him. What's he like? You say he's quite old. Does he have any other kids?"

Thankfully Mercedes opened up. She told him about the old man who was busy but always made time for her when he could as she grew up. She spoke of how he would attempt to braid her hair and make her laugh at his complete inability to tame it.

"He sounds great. Does he have much family? He couldn't have adopted you alone…"

"Actually he did! I'm a genuine orphan Annie!"For some reason her own statement made her chuckle. Sam could feel her warming up and relaxing with him and before long she became more animated as she launched into the story of her adoption. It was a fascinating one. Their fathers had been friends. At first it had been an employer employee relationship, her birth father, Josiah Jones, nearly twenty years his junior, had started as his assistant but his suggestions and personality helped him to start working his way through the ranks. From day one he was always a trusted advisor. The man she now called 'daddy' had introduced him to the woman who eventually became his wife, had been best man at Josiah's wedding and was appointed as godfather from the moment Jaqueline Jones had found out that she was pregnant.

There was no question that he would take Mercedes in after her parents were tragically involved in a 5 car Interstate pileup while travelling home from an anniversary weekend. Fifteen month old Mercedes had been strapped into her car seat at the back of the vehicle and miraculously escaped without even a scratch while her parents were killed instantly. She'd been pulled from the mangled wreckage by firefighters over an hour later. Nobody batted an eyelid when he said he was going to adopt her, a live in nanny was instantly employed to help out and she was given the greatest childhood. The only thing her parents had stipulated at her christening was that if anything happened to them, they wanted her to keep her name. It was something that Mercedes was glad of and claimed was a protection for her. It was a statement that puzzled Sam, but he was there to listen to her talk, not to question. And yet he couldn't help but be curious. Maybe by being indirect he could get some answers.

"So are your adopted family large?"

"No. Just daddy."

"Oh that's a shame. And his brother of course."

"Brother?" She sounded confused.

"Your uncle."

"Oh uncle Kurt! He's not really my uncle. He's my dad's close friend."

"Friend? They have to be very close."

She hesitated. "They are. They've known each other for nearly fifty years."

"Didn't you miss having a mother figure?"

"Not really. I had a nanny. Daddy never married and was always too busy with work to date so there weren't any women in his life."

"Right…" Sam's mind suddenly started to put some things together but he decided to keep his suspicions to himself.

"So anyway, that's my weird story." He could hear her sipping from what sounded like a glass of water. "Tell me something about you. How was your evening? Did you talk to your mom?"

"Unfortunately yes. She cried again when I told her the marriage wasn't real. She's got it into her head that she really wants me to bring you home so that she can meet you."

"She sounds so sweet. I hate to break her heart!"

"So do I. My sister still isn't talking to me and my brother can't stop laughing. He says my running off to Vegas and getting fake married is the coolest thing he ever heard. Suddenly I've gone from geeky older brother to somebody impressive."

"That's good to know."

"Yeah. But it's weird. I've got all sorts of comments and messages from friends, and one mean message from one of Kitty's friends snarking about how I didn't wait long to get over her."

"How rude! That girl was over you while she was still with you! You have every right to be moving on instead of pining!"

"Damn right. Oh and I have a message for you from Stevie. He says if you don't have any younger sisters, do you have any younger cousins?"

For the first time in the call he heard her laugh. "Sadly no. But if he's cute like you I might know some single younger siblings of friends who might be interested!"

He laughed in response. "I'll let him know!"

They talked, and they talked and they talked some more on every subject under the sun until Mercedes' yawns finally prompted him to look at his watch. "Mercedes it's after three!"

"It is?"

"Yep. I need to go to bed and so do you!"

"I'm already in bed so I guess it's just you that has to move."

Sam swallowed loudly. He was fine with talking to her, but now that he knew she was in bed his thoughts immediately turned less innocent. Was she wearing those cute little shorts again like she had last night? Did they strain across her ass like they did when she bent over to pick the TV remote up off the floor after it had fallen? They were just a pair of simple cotton shorts but they exposed those Amazonian thighs, and the way her hips filled them and spread-

"What was that?"

"Huh?"

"You said something."

"No I didn't."

"Well if you didn't say something you must have groaned…"

Oh shit! Was he really drooling aloud down the phone because he was thinking of what she might or might not be wearing in bed?

"Sam I should let you go. I've kept you up and I'm sorry."

"I'm not. I'm glad you called and spoke with me."

"Did Puck come back yet?"

"Nope. He's probably passed out in some alley, or charmed his way into some poor clueless girl's bed. Either way I don't really want to know about it right now."

"True, neither do I…"Her words sounded slow and slurred and he recognized that she was drifting. Quietly standing he turned out the lights and instead of going to his room, paused briefly before he headed in the opposite direction and climbed straight into her bed under the covers. He knew he shouldn't have gone into her space but the sheets smelled of her and he needed that right now.

"Mercedes you need to sleep. You're going to have a lot to deal with tomorrow."

"Uh huh..."

She was practically gone. He knew it.

"Okay, I'm going to hang up now."

"Kay..."

"Goodnight Mercedes."

"Night..."

He didn't hang up. He stayed on the line, listening to her breathing slow and deepen before finally disconnecting when he was sure she was asleep.

As he finally ended the call he made a resolution to himself. This wasn't going to end with them being strangers. She needed him. And he needed her. He _wanted _her.

And this wasn't over. Not by a long shot. When she returned to Vegas to get the annulment after sorting things out at home, she was going to find that getting rid of him wasn't going to be as easy as she thought.

Their meeting might have been random, but the way that he was starting to feel about her was anything but. Sure he'd wanted that ass from the moment he saw her, but now... now he was starting to want more than just that ass.

Pulling the comforter around him he squeezed his eyes tightly shut. Sam Evans had signed up for one week of marriage and a luxury hotel suite, nobody had warned him about the rapidly increasing warm and fuzzies...

* * *

**_A little more bonding and a lot more feelings caught..._**

**_Next up - ANSWERS! Have you guessed who Mercedes' adoptive dad is yet?_**


	9. Chapter 9

**_Yes the majority of you were right! Her adopted father is none other than: Blaine Anderson! The irony is that he's actually one of my least fave characters on the show, but this is how the story decided to write itself, and the beauty and whole point of AU is that anyone can be whoever your imagination wants them to be!_**

* * *

**Day 5**

**Anderson Mansion**

**Outskirts of San Francisco**

Mercedes loved waking up in her old room. It held so many happy childhood memories for her. For a moment she felt like a teenager again as she gazed around the large room from her four poster bed. A gut full of regency romance novels read as a teen had told her such a bed was the only way for a lady to sleep. Surely it was a requirement for every romantic heroine had to have a bed like that? As a spotty teenager who'd never been kissed, logic dictated that her chances might have increased by having something so romantic! Those were the days when she was still learning to be herself. The days before she'd grown to love the body of hers which was so unlike everyone else's around her. Oh the sweet days of young innocence!

The content smile fell from her face as she suddenly remembered _why_ she was here. Daddy was sick. She'd fucked up big time and was about to have to deal with the consequences. Turning her head she saw the phone on the pillow next to her and involuntarily smiled.

Sam… He'd been there when she needed him, just like he'd said he would. How many guys would just sit back and listen when a woman wanted to talk? But Sam wasn't like other guys. Sam was different. Sam was…

… was _not_ who she should be thinking about right now!

With a groan she reached for it and noticed a piece of paper slipped underneath it.

'_You were sleeping so peacefully I didn't want to wake you. I'm perfectly fine today and back to my normal self so don't worry. Have to show my face at the office so the board don't think I'm at death's door but I'm expecting you to meet me for Dim Sum! Don't be late! I love you x'_

Mercedes stared at the note. As it was, she hadn't remembered putting the phone there. In fact, she hadn't even remembered ending the conversation properly. And now it had been moved. How had she not heard him come into the bedroom? She knew he'd been there because, not only had he left the note, the covers were also firmly tucked around her. She _never_ had the covers around her in the morning. They'd be everywhere _but_ on her.

The old man had always been a ninja!

A quick glance at the time told her it was no use rushing to get up and find him. Somehow she'd slept through to nine. Something she normally never did. Then again, she_ had _been up most of the night talking to Sam…

Why did a smile always come to her face when she thought about Sam? But this wasn't the time to lapse back into thinking about him. Today was going to be the showdown of all showdowns!

Replacing the note and reaching for the phone, her thoughts went to Quinn. A quick call to her friend revealed that Artie was being prepped for transporting. He would be reaching California that evening. It was the best news she could have hoped for. Quinn was currently packing her things. The specialist unit was near LA and the Army were providing accommodation for her and BamBam so that they could stay nearby. Momma CeeCee was also making the trip for emotional support. She wasn't entitled to Army accommodation but was wealthy enough to fund her own place nearby.

This was only the beginning of what was to be a very long journey for them and Mercedes' heart went out to her friend and everything she was going to have to go through, after everything she'd already been through.

Quinn on the other hand, was upbeat. Once she'd given the update on the Artie news she was desperate to hear what was happening with her friend's drama. Anything to get some distraction from what was happening with her own.

Mercedes filled her in on her dad's condition and asked her more details about her conversation with Kurt when he'd called asking after Mercedes.

"What can I say Mercedes, both he and your father hate me!"

"It's not that he doesn't like you, it's just… you've made a lot of bad decisions and he finds it hard to get over that."

"Exactly. The last and most memorable one being that I featured as maid of honor on your viral wedding video!"

"Viral?"

"Okay maybe that's too strong a word. But there's definitely been questions! I, on the other hand, am starting to think maybe my bad idea wasn't such a bad idea after all!"

"How can you say that?"

"Because if it wasn't for the bad idea, you wouldn't have been up half the night talking to a really nice guy!"

"He was placeholder for you Quinn, I couldn't have called you at that time with everything you've got going on and a baby in the house!"

"Guys don't _chat_ Mercedes. Guys don't just let a girl fall asleep with them on the phone."

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

"I'm not saying anything. I'm just asking you to think about it. Okay?"

"Think about wha-"

"I have to go. I hear BamBam. Fill me in on the big showdown later!"

Mercedes sighed at her friend's evasiveness. "Okay I promise!"

* * *

"I didn't want him to go to work today." Kurt was watching as she poured herself coffee and debated taking a freshly delivered muffin before returning it to the basket. He shot her a knowing look. "Dim Sum?"

"Yeah. I'm starving but I want to save myself."

"Here…" He took the muffin and broke it in half, keeping the larger piece for himself, "problem solved."

She smiled and took the piece of cake. "You always know how to fix things."

"Not everything."

The meaning was clear. "I've messed up, haven't I!"

He looked at her carefully for a moment as he chewed, his blue eyes unwavering. "Yep."

"See! This is why I don't do impulsive! Impulsive gets me in trouble. Sensible and rational, that's me. I know where I am with that."

"We need a balance of both to be truly happy. Your daddy Joe was like that. He knew when to keep his head cool and when to let loose."

"I know I always ask, but am I like him?"

Kurt nodded and pulled her into his arms. "You're a lot like him and you should be proud. He was a good man and a friend to us. The best we could have ever asked for. He loved you so much and he always knew that if anything happened to him, Blaine would love you just as much, and he has."

"I know. It's just sometimes I worry I'm going to disappoint him and fail to live up to my birth parent's memory."

"You could never do that!"

"They would have been disappointed in me running off and marrying a total stranger!"

"That's true. But that wouldn't make them love you any less. We all make mistakes, some a little more… _complicated_ than others. But I'd say, as you've lived your life so straight for all these years, you get one free pass on doing something totally out of the box with complete strangers."

She paused and bit her lip thoughtfully for a second. "Please don't think badly about Sam because of this."

"Huh?" Kurt raised his eyebrow and for a second she saw unadulterated curiosity in his face.

"I mean, he did this to help me out. It was all my suggestion."

"Mercedes, _any _man would step up if they knew how much you're worth."

"I'm worth as much as I earn."

"Only until you're thirty."

"That's three more years!"

"So he doesn't know?"

"I already told you he doesn't. We met randomly because he was sat in the next booth in a diner and he knew nothing about me. He was in a fix, I was in a fix, there's nothing more to it. I wasn't even supposed to marry him, I was going to marry his friend but there was a problem getting the license so-" She clamped her hand over her mouth to stop the words as she watched Kurt's eyebrow arch so high it was practically lost in his hairline. "I promise it's not as bad as it sounds. He's been a complete gentleman and he understands it's going to be annulled after seven days. Plus I've had a chance to get to know him over the last couple of days and he's a great guy. But the reality is that our paths weren't destined to cross. He'll go back to LA and I'll come back to San Francisco. But sometimes I wish…" She blushed and avoided his eyes.

Kurt just stayed silent. This whole situation was turning out differently to how he'd expected. Following an interesting talk with Blaine earlier in the morning he'd been determined to get some more answers for himself. "What do you wish Mercedes?" he asked gently.

"Sometimes I wish… that I'd met him under different circumstances."

Kurt silently nodded, observing her forlorn expression carefully and thoughtfully and filing the information away for later use.

* * *

**Somewhere in Chinatown**

**Downtown San Francisco**

It was a tradition that he'd set up after spending six months in China and falling in love with real Dim Sum. He followed the tradition he'd learned from the family he'd stayed with and eaten dim sum early. How he'd found the tiny restaurant down a side alley in the heart of Chinatown, that looked like somebody's house than a restaurant was one of the many unanswered questions that Mercedes had about the man who she called her father and who she loved unconditionally.

She hadn't needed to ask the details of the meeting. It was 11.30 and he was precisely where she knew he would be, sat at the tiny upstairs table for two in the little upstairs room she was sure doubled as somebody's bedroom. As always, Blaine Anderson cut a striking figure. His finely tailored suit sat snugly against his trim deceptively youthful physique, and his full head of now completely white hair was held back in the classic style he'd had since his teens, by what Mercedes had always felt was a little too much gel. Blaine was the founder of KB Tech, a company who had existed quietly for years until recently gaining much exposure for releasing their own e-reader which was set to rival the Kindle and Kobo markets with the advantage of not being attached to any particular platform for format other than epub. Blaine was famously mysterious, known by most to be a recluse, rarely seen out in public and rarely photographed with anyone including his own daughter and especially not with his partner.

"I'm so sorry daddy!" She didn't even give him a chance to open his mouth before she ran to him, dropping her bag unceremoniously at the entrance of the room.

He chuckled against her. "Contrary to what you may think your nuptials did _not_ give me gas!"

She giggled against him and enjoyed the embrace before he finally indicated for her to sit, "Although arguing with you definitely did cause heartburn of more than one kind!"

She opened he mouth to reply then stopped as an elderly Chinese woman came in and poured them tea. Blaine said a few words to her in Cantonese and she smiled and nodded before turning and leaving as quietly as she came in.

Mercedes smiled at the interchange. "I love watching you communicate like that."

"I'm just trying to be respectful." He paused and removed his jacket, hanging it neatly over the back of his chair. "We have a lot to talk about don't we."

She nodded, her chest suddenly feeling tight.

It felt like the older woman had barely disappeared before a young man entered with a basket of steamed dumplings and dipping sauces. Mercedes sipped her tea and nodded her thanks as he laid out the food.

"Bon apetit!"

They ate in silence for a few moments. It should have been uncomfortable but somehow it wasn't. Just being near him always calmed her, and seeing from his expression and manner that he wasn't entirely mad at her made things a little easier. But it was inevitable that he would eventually speak, and she braced herself for it.

"So considering it was a Vegas chapel wedding, it was actually quite beautiful and moving. Kurt was especially impressed with your dress choice. Obviously I was hurt not to be the one walking you down the aisle at your wedding." He paused again. "But what upset me the most was the fact that you felt you couldn't come to me with this. Why would you go so far Mercedes. Did I really drive you to act crazy?"

"I felt like I had no way out!"

He looked genuinely confused. "No way out? _How?_"

"I didn't want to let you down. I'd do anything for you, you know that. But marrying Leo, that's a step too far."

Blaine looked at her with a disturbed expression. "My intention wasn't to force you do so something you didn't want..."

"But you seemed really keen on the idea. Too keen You called me twice in two days then set up a lunch to discuss it."

"That lunch was just lunch Mercedes. Okay so it came up in the conversation, but it wasn't the motive for getting you there. Did you forget that sometimes we just eat together to catch up and enjoy each other's company?"

"Yes but-"

"There is no but Mercedes. That's all it was. I'm sorry you felt pressured. That wasn't my intention. From what I'd observed and learned about you and Leo, I genuinely thought it was something you would go for and that your reactions were just shyness and embarrassment."

"Of course I was embarrassed! You were randomly asking me to marry and have babies with a guy that... well... let's just say there's no interest there."

"Of course I understand that _now_, but at the time you were just so cagey. It didn't come across as a 'no'so much as a 'the lady doth protest too much'. I thought you were just embarrassed to admit your feelings for him. If I'd thought it was anything more than that I never would have pushed the subject."

"So you don't _need _for us to get married to make a deal with old man Sanders?"

"No of course not! This is 2014 Mercy! Businesses don't merge that way anymore. Sanders and I just got talking over brandy one night and though you two kids might be good together. Leo stands to inherit the business but we both know he doesn't have it in him to run things. But you do. And if you kids have a child together they would eventually inherit everything from both sides. It wasn't serious, it was just the fantasy of two old men slightly tipsy on finely aged spirits and cigar smoke!"

She shook her head in disbelief. "Two old men or two old women? That kind of talk definitely belongs in the realm of old women!"

For the first time in the conversation Blaine laughed. "Maybe you're right. But men gossip too you know. We just do it in our own private clubs with something strong and smooth over ice rather than in a coffee shop over a latte. But it's still pretty much the same thing."

Mercedes was too stunned to speak for a moment, playing nervously with the bottle of soy sauce before looking up at him again, confused. The reality was starting to dawn on her and she wasn't liking it one bit. Was he trying to say that this had all been an overreaction? "So you mean this was just... all a huge misunderstanding and miscommunication?"

"Yep. It appears to be that way."

She sat blinking for a couple of seconds. "So I wasn't _obligated _to marry Leo?"

He stared at her earnestly. "Of course not!"

"Because I _did_ consider it. I'd do anything for you. I owe you my world. But marrying Leo... well I just couldn't do that."

Blaine leaned forward in his seat and looked at her intently. "See, now this is the part I don't understand. I know for a fact that you've been sweet on Leo since you a child!"

Her eyes widened with confusion. "_Sweet on?_"

He shot her a look that asked her to deny what he'd just said and it finally dawned on her what he was getting at. _Was he really serious? _"Oh please dad! I had a crush on him when I was about _five_! That's not the same thing!"

"You used to follow him around like a puppy Mercedes. And he always let you. I figured even back then that you would eventually end up together!"

"Noooo! No! That was just a childhood thing! I grew out of it pretty quickly!"

"You did?"

"Yes!" She nodded furiously.

He sat back and narrowed his eyes. "So the Sanders' Christmas Ball was…"

_Oh sweet lord! _

Mercedes felt all the blood drain from her body and a chill settle over her. Her dirty laundry was about to be hung out in front of her dad of all people! Were there any words in the English language to express her level of mortification? She swallowed loudly. "How did you know?"

"I was there! I saw you both playing tongue tango while the valet brought his car from the parking lot."

_Utter mortification. _

"I- Uh…" There was nothing she could say in her defense. She silently swore never to touch another drop of alcohol ever again. That was a night of bad judgment that she hoped never to repeat. Well, never to repeat _again…_

Thankfully he was able to read her mortified and slightly sickened expression. "So I take it you're not still seeing each other?"

"No!"

"But I thought – you know – that you kids were finally coming full circle. He's sown his wild oats and you're finally ready to settle!"

"No! Oh dad! You read this thing all wrong!"

"Anthony says you we seen leaving his apartment building in the early hours on another occasion several weeks later. It wasn't a one night stand was it?"

_No. It was a two night stand with a few weeks in between! _And why the hell was she discussing her love life with her father anyway? "It was an alcohol fueled mistake that we both regret and try not to think about. We've both moved on from that."

He cast her a searching gaze. "Are you sure about that?"

"Positive. Leo and I aren't... _compatible... _To be honest I always suspected he may have had someone else on his mind. We're both adults and we both know what happened between us was a mistake that neither of us have any plans to revisit."

"So Sanders and I won't be sharing a grandbaby after all?"

"I'm afraid not. I'm sorry to ruin your plans."

Blaine unexpectedly smiled. "Don't worry, you haven't."

"Really?"

"Yes really."

She paused as she thought about his words. "So what happens about the business? The merger?"

"Nothing. We just go on as planned."

"As planned?" _What plan?_

"Yes. Sanders and I were going into business together regardless. His company can make the components for the next generation of my e-readers."

"So it's already sorted?"

"Of course! One night while we were drinking together we came up with this crazy idea of our children getting together but if it's not what you wanted we wouldn't have forced you. We both thought we'd seen something but maybe our senile old eyes were just playing with us. It was never an expectation."

"Really?"

"Really! As it is, Leo wasn't interested in the idea either. I'd been wondering how I'd broach the subject with you when he said his piece but now it's all come out in the wash anyway."

"Hang on. Leo wasn't and he actually spoke up about it? I thought he didn't have the spine to have an opinion in one way or another."

"Oh there's more to young Sanders than meets the eye. Did you know he was already engaged?"

"Engaged? _No!_ Who to?"

"Apparently the girl's name is Rachel something. I can't remember her last name but it has something to do with food."

"You mean Rachel Berry?"

"That would be the one. You know her?"

"Not well, but our paths have crossed a couple of times. She's one of those very driven women and always gets what she wants. I don't always agree with the way she goes about it but I have to respect her for her dogged determination. She'll go far just on sheer drive and ambition."

"Hmmm. Interesting. Well it seems what she wanted was Leo and now she'd got him."

"Wow. I had no idea!"

"Neither did anyone else. Apparently they'd been off and on for the last couple of years ago. The last major breakup coincided with the Christmas Ball which might explain some other things. Anyway, it seems they got secretly engaged a few weeks back. Leo didn't have the guts to tell his father until he felt pushed into a corner. Now the engagement's public and to be honest, the boy actually looks quite happy."

"Rachel… wow! Good for her! I guess… I guess I never saw that one coming!"

"Neither did anyone. But the point is, all it took was _one conversation_. I tried to call you but Kurt said you'd gone away and by then your phone was off. I could have contacted you via the Bellagio but I wanted to speak with you in person. Unfortunately, before I got the chance there was a video of you getting married on your Facebook and no answer on your phone or at your suite. It's only once Kurt got hold of Quinn that I even knew where you were."

Mercedes bowed her head. "I'm sorry I made you worry. I just needed some time to process how I was going to deal with all of this. It all happened so suddenly. I felt so overwhelmed and needed Quinn with me."

"Oh my little Mercy. I just can't believe you let her talk you into doing something so stupid!"

"She didn't talk me into anything!" He shot her a look and she felt the need to elaborate and defend her friend. "It was one of many random suggestions she made. Almost as soon as she said it she regretted it and tried to talk me out of it. I was the one who was instrumental in this. _I_ picked the guy and the venue. _I_ organized and planned the wedding. And _I _was the one who wanted to go to the Grand Canyon with him afterwards."

"And _I _was the one who paid for the whole thing!"

"Actually no. I paid for the ceremony and all items to do with the actual wedding from my own wedding fund. You only paid for my honeymoon and technically that was just an extension of the holiday I was already on. I was going to visit the Canyon anyway."

Blaine shook his head. "I still can't believe it. I gave you that card to treat yourself. For years you refuse to use it, then the one time you do it's to fund craziness."

"I'll pay you back every cent!"

"It's not about the money dammit. I don't care about the money. You could have stayed in the Mandarin Oriental and chartered your own flight to the Grand Canyon for all I care. That money is, and always will be, for you to enjoy yourself. But you always have to go and prove you can do things on your own! You have a job for life with me but no you have to apply for positions, go through interviews and work your way up on your own!"

"I know. That's just the way I am! I know I can have things on a plate with you, but I love the challenge of doing things for myself."

"Yep. Stubborn as your old man from the day you were born!"

"But you already know why I have to be this way. People assume that everything I have is because of you, and in some ways they're right. But I'm more than just your money. It's there for me to fall back on but I've never needed it. I only started to spend it on this trip because I was mad at you, and even then it was just as much to do nice things for others than it was for myself. I'm not cut from the same mold as you. I may not remember my parents, but deep down I know that I must have got something them. You always say my pa never wanted to take advantage of your generosity and I'm the same. I want to have nice things because I've earned them, not because they're given to me. I don't want to marry a millionaire to secure my future, I want to marry for love and spend the rest of my life with a man who makes me smile."

"So you went and married a complete stranger! How does that make sense? Or did you fall in love with him somewhere within your first twenty-four hours?"

"Of course I didn't fall in love that fast! But Sam's a nice guy. And the honest truth is that I have just as much chance of finding happiness with a random stranger than I do with a millionaire!" Blaine eyed her and she eyed him back. "Actually, I think I have _more _chance with someone without money because he won't be considering me simply because of a hidden agenda."

"And how do you know this guy doesn't have an agenda?"

"I've been through this with Kurt already. He doesn't know anything about me. Anything he likes is because of the time we've spent together."

"So he likes you?"

Mercedes felt trapped into a corner. Somehow the conversation had turned and she hadn't seen it coming. She lowered her voice and her gaze. "We get on, that's all."

"Uh huh. Because what I saw on my laptop was a wedding that didn't look that fake. Obviously I've told everyone it was a Vegas hoax as part of your wild week away, but your smile was a little too wide."

"I didn't even know Sam at that point!"

"Maybe not. But you didn't just marry him and run. You stayed together. You spent time alone together."

"I- We- It was the circumstances! Artie's accident and-"

"I know all about Artie's accident and I told your friend if there's anything I can do she should just call."

"You did? I thought you didn't like her?"

"I didn't like her decisions. But I'm not blind to the fact that she's worked hard to better herself and her husband seems like a good man. He certainly he deserves the best for his sacrifices for this country."

Mercedes was stunned. She'd never heard him speak like this before.

"But we're not here to speak about her, we're here to discuss what's going to happen about this man you've got yourself tied up with. This Sam Evans character."

"He's not a character, he's- wait- have you been checking up on him?"

"After what happened with that Brody slimeball, it would have been wrong of me not to make sure that everything about him is above board. I can't sit back and watch someone hurt you like that again."

She sighed. "So what did you find out?"

"Well," he leaned forward, "for a start he's nearly two years younger than you. He owns-"

"Stop!" Mercedes held up her hand. "I don't want to hear it! Anything he needs me to know, he'll tell me myself!" She played with her fingers for a moment. "Okay so just tell me if he has a criminal record."

Blaine smiled back at her, knowingly. "Nope. Clean slate. No fraud and no large debts."

"Then we're good."

"Are you? I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"Because you're still legally married."

"I know. But we're getting an annulment."

"Good. Because I'm worried for you."

"Why?"

"I don't want you to get hurt."

"I don't understand."

"I woke up in the night to pee. You know how it is for me. And I decided to swing by you room and check on you but you weren't asleep."

"Why didn't you come it?"

"You were talking. Giggling actually. I couldn't hear the words but I could hear the tone. I also made out the name Sam after one particularly giddy laugh."

"And what was so wrong with that?"

"It's over Mercedes. It was a mistake. Sanders and I have already begun the legal process for this merger. Your marriage was unnecessary and doesn't need to continue one second longer." A heaviness settled on her chest as he continued to speak. "I know you told Kurt this was just a convenience thing so it should be easy to break off. But I know you and I know the two things here which are dangerous. First, you're softening. You're talking to this guy and he's making you laugh. Give it time and you'll catch feelings. Catching feelings makes things really messy. Thank him for helping you out, write him a check and cut him loose."

Mercedes felt an unpleasant chill run through her. Was she really catching feelings? And Sam really didn't seem like the type to be bought off. "But-"

"No buts Mercedes. And there's one thing even more dangerous than your feelings and that's _his_ feelings."

"His?"

"You're gorgeous Mercedes. I'm not just saying it because of bias due to who I am to you. You're beautiful and funny and dare I say it even sexy! How can a guy _not_ fall in love with you?"

"There hasn't been time for-"

"I watched the wedding video over and over. I saw his expression before the kiss. I saw his expression _after _the kiss. Hell I even saw _your_ expression. You're going to have to leave him behind, and when you do it's going to hurt his feelings. Do it now before you dig yourself any deeper." He reached across the table and took her hand. "If you can't do this for yourself, do it for him. You told me yourself he's a good guy. A guy who sometime soon is going to have to head back to LA and continue with his real life. Leave him with good memories not sadness and heartbreak."

"So what do you expect me to do? Just go, tell him it's over and walk away?"

"Essentially, yes."

"But-"

"Mercedes. You're a smart woman. You're a _business _woman. You've entered into a contract which has been voided by the actions of others, namely the merger _without _the need for your marriage. This makes you the instigator and him the innocent party. Fix this!"

"But-"

"How many other ways can I put this Mercedes! You got this wrong. The best you can do now is put it right. I know you and you wouldn't hurt a fly. Don't break that by hurting a man who only wanted to help you."

She gasped. Those final words touched a nerve. Sam had done this to help her. Now that she'd discovered it was all a mistake and the marriage was unnecessary, what right did she have to hold onto it? There was no argument that was valid. There was no way to justify holding on to something that was no longer needed, however much she'd unknowingly come to rely on it. With a sigh she detangled her hand from his. Feeling Blaine's intense scrutiny she kept her head dipped. He was right, she knew he was, but the words weren't supposed to hurt like this.

"What's wrong?" His words were gently but they still caused an ache which she couldn't describe.

"Nothing. You're right. I have to go and own up to my mistake then set him free."

"It's for the best."

"I know." She pushed the final morsels away from her. Suddenly she had no appetite left.

"Now that I've shown my face at the office I don't need to go back there today. That's the joy of being semi-retired. I can give you a ride back to the airport and put you on the first flight back to Vegas. It's best not to drag these things out."

She nodded. "Sure. I left my bag at your place but it doesn't matter. It's just the overnight things I had from the Canyon…"

Blaine took her hand again, knowing that she was wavering. "You'll feel better once this is done and you get back to your normal life."

"I know." She stood and he followed suit. Straightening her clothes she stiffened her spine and exhaled loudly. She was a strong woman. She could do this. "I'm ready when you are."

"Of course." He collected his jacket over his arm and came round to give her another embrace. "I love you, you know."

"I know. I love you too."

"And the whole wedding thing, I guess part of it was me wanting you to have what I couldn't have."

"I know that too." They said their goodbyes to the staff and walked hand in hand to his waiting limo. She looked up at him. "But don't forget, the world is a very different place know."

"True. But we're old now. We've found our path and what we have works for us. After years of having to be discrete it's now second nature."

"At least you have love."

"And you will too. When you get married for real, it'll be with me walking you down the aisle to give you away to a man who sees all his hopes and dreams in your eyes. Settle for nothing less. I didn't settle for anything less despite the hardships, and whatever you thought my intentions were for you, I never want you to settle either."

"I won't."

"Good. But for that to happen you know you need to start with a clean slate. I know someone out there who can speed up the process for you. Annul this sham of a marriage and focus on finding real love."

"I will."

"Promise?"

She looked him dead in the eye. He was her weakness. She would do anything for the man who had taken her in and loved her unconditionally. "I promise you daddy."

* * *

**McCarren Airport**

**Las Vegas**

As soon as she stepped through the double doors into Arrivals she saw him. She hadn't expected Sam to come and meet her, yet at the same time the fact that he'd come didn't surprise her at all. That's just the kind of guy he was. A sweet lovely guy who she couldn't bear to hurt.

Even though there were dozens of people around, they all faded into a blur as she focused solely on him and his beaming smile as he caught sight of her. The tape barrier was no barrier at all to their immediate crushing embrace.

To an independent observer they probably looked like reuniting lovers and for a split second she allowed herself to close her eyes and indulge in that fantasy. For the briefest moment she allowed herself to enjoy the feeling of being in his strong arms, to feel his face bury itself in her neck and to listen to the way he inhaled her. "Mercedes…" Even the way he said her name made her feel giddy. "…How come you always smell so good?" It was a statement rather than a question and she knew that. He wasn't looking for an answer he was paying her a compliment that was welcome. "So he's okay, right?"

She pulled back and nodded. Suddenly her words stuck at the back of her throat as the reality of what she needed to do finally and savagely hit home. "Sam we need to talk. It's important."

Instantly his facial expression changed. He could tell something was wrong but was waiting for her to say it. He'd have to wait until they reached the privacy of the hotel room for that to happen. Pulling away she walked the rest of the arrival strip so that they could be face to face without the barrier. "Is something wrong?"

_Yes! Yes I've gone and made a promise that I don't want to keep!_

"I've- I've been really stupid!" Without warning her eyes started filling with tears and his arms instantly went around her shoulder.

"Hey. What's up?"

"We can't talk here. Can we get a taxi back to the suite?"

"Sure."

With his arm still around her shoulders she allowed him to lead her to the exit.

Sam was already being far too perfect for his own good. Just who exactly was she protecting by ending this so quickly?

And why had she gone and made a promise that she suddenly knew for sure, she didn't really want to keep…

* * *

**_Still not sure about this chapter but moving on for now..._**


	10. Chapter 10

**Day 6**

**Presidential Suite**

**Bellagio Hotel**

**_A/N: No you haven't missed a chapter. There's a teeny tiny time jump here, the reason for which will become apparent very quickly…_**

As usual the light was streaming into the room but this time it made her head hurt. Actually the word hurt was an understatement. If someone had taken a meat cleaver and whacked her head with it repeatedly during the night she still wouldn't feel this bad. Then there was her mouth. Not only was it totally parched, but it felt like an entire family of mangy stray cats had taken up home in it. As for her eyes, well someone had clearly scooped them out with a blunt spoon and replaced them haphazardly.

Mercedes Jones was a mess and unfortunately she knew this feeling well. This was the feeling that came after overindulgence in alcohol. And overindulging in alcohol could only ever mean bad news. Thankfully she was alone and in her own bed...

_Or maybe not..._

This wasn't her bed.

This wasn't her room.

This was still Vegas.

And she_ wasn't_ alone!

Her instinct was to sit up and scream but that involved movement and rapid movement wasn't something her body wasn't ready to do just yet.

But what the hell? Turning her head slowly and carefully she took in the sight of the back of a very definitely masculine head.

A man? She should scream but that would probably induce vomiting at this point. Why couldn't she remember? And why was it that she wasn't freaked out by the male lying next to her?

Because it's Sam...

No! That couldn't be right either. They were going to get the marriage annulled not end up in bed together. She'd promised... That part she remembered clearly. She'd spoken with her dad and discovered the whole thing was a terrible misunderstanding. She'd come back to Vegas to explain things to Sam and fast track the annulment then...

Then _nothing!_ There were flashes of things, celebrating something, running through crowded streets and drinking shots but none of it was clear.

Sam Evans was supposed to be set free so why was he here asleep in her bed? Bed meant sex.

_Oh Lord she'd had sex with Sam!_

The only thing worse than having sex with Sam when he was supposed to be gone? Not remembering what was sure to have been something amazing!

But then again - yes her body was stiff and sore but it was also something else. It was dressed. Fully dressed! How did that even make sense? Relief and discontent flowed through her in equal measures. So maybe _nothing_ had happened! Running her hands down her body she had a mental assessment. Dress ridden up but definitely on. Bra present and correct. _Panties_ present and correct. That was the most important one. Had she been wearing tights? Who knew? But if she had, they were definitely missing now. And most importantly of all, the wedding ring was still on her finger!

_So we're still married! But I could have sworn I made an appointment for us to sign the forms for the annulment at 6pm. Somehow it hasn't happened!_

_Why don't I feel upset about that?_

She lifted the covers to look at Sam. Like her he was also fully dressed minus shoes. His pants were on and fully zipped up. His shirt had several buttons undone but it was still on. His exposed left hand revealed that he too was still sporting his ring. He was emitting the gentle snore of someone deeply asleep and she had no intention of waking him from his slumber. Reluctantly she slipped out of the bed. Her head required painkillers and her mouth needed refreshing from the taste of whichever of the furry creatures in her mouth had curled up and died.

After relieving herself and swallowing some tablets with a small glass of water she brushed her teeth, opting to use her electric toothbrush manually to avoid the extra noise and vibration an electric brushing would have caused. She then stepped out of her dress and into the Bellagio robe which was hanging on the back of the door. A quick washing of her face made her feel slightly more human.

Passing back into the bedroom, Sam was still fast asleep. Despite herself she smiled at his appearance. Seeing him there was a shock but it didn't freak her out. She actually liked it. _Why was she so calm about all of this?_

Deciding that the bedroom was going to supply no further answers without waking Sam she decided to search further afield. The temptation to simply climb back into the bed and snuggle up against him was strong, but she had to fight it and work this out on her own.

With one final glance back at the figure sprawled in her bed, Mercedes stepped out of the room into the communal area and did a double take at the strange young woman with tanned skin leaning against the wet bar. That fact alone was bad enough. It was compounded however, by the fact that she was wearing nothing but a tiny pair of lace panties. So tiny that Mercedes was sure the back consisted of nothing but dental floss. Every inch of her exposed skin was flawless, her breasts were pert and high and quite possibly not real, her waist dipped in and her hips flared out and down into perfectly tapered thighs and legs. She had the lean slightly muscular look of someone who worked out regularly. And to top it all, the woman was calmly eating was looked suspiciously like Cheerios from a bowl!

_This HAD to be the twilight zone!_

"Hi! I bet your head feels like hell this morning!" The young woman shot her a dazzling smile to reveal two perfect rows of teeth.

This was far beyond a joke and Mercedes had had a full sense of humor bypass. "Who the hell are you and how did you get in here?"

The young woman frowned. "Santana Lopez. You said it was fine for me to come up with Puck and we met last night when we interrupted you and your husband busy getting bodily fluids on the couch."

At those words Mercedes started to physically shake. Surely they didn't… "On the couch…"

The Santana woman grinned at her in a way that could be considered slightly lecherously. "I totally see why he can't get enough of that ass! Between you and me I wanted to stay quiet and just watch but Puck has some sort of loyalty thing going with his friend and wanted to give you privacy…"

_Too much information! _"You… You caught us…"

"Uh huh. It was _hot!_"

Mercedes shook her head then instantly regretted the pain that followed the sudden movement. This was all far too surreal for words. "I'm sorry but _who_ are you again?"

"Like I said I'm Tana! You saw me dancing briefly the other night at Coyote Gorgeous. I used to work with Quinn. You can call her if you want to confirm that I'm legit. You said you were going to last night, but clearly you and your man had other plans so…"

Mercedes frowned. This was all far too much to take in with a hangover. She tried to look towards the couch but all that came to mind was a flashback of her moaning in ecstasy and the sight of her shoes from the night before randomly strewn in the middle of the floor didn't help either. Making her way to the wet bar she poured herself a tall glass of water and gulped it down slowly. At least the woman couldn't be stealing anything unless she had it hidden up the crack of her perfectly peachy ass. Her nudity was making Mercedes uncomfortable and she had to avert her eyes and change the subject. "So where the hell did you get Cheerios?"

Santana shrugged. "Room service. I figured it would be okay. They took long enough to bring it up here though!"

Utter disbelief. "You ordered-" The levels of crazy here were just off the chart! Maybe she was somewhere in a parallel universe! Right now there was a man asleep in her bed who, judging by the ring on her finger she was still married to, and by the throbbing between her thighs and the report of on couch activity, had managed not only to avoid annulment but to get the goodies from her. And the worst part of all was that she wasn't even mad at him for it! She only wished she could remember how good it had been! Alcohol amnesia was something she was prone to and this was one of the worst cases she'd had in a while.

Just how much did she drink and why?

The unconcerned naked person in the equivalent of her living room continued crunching the cereal loudly, a sound comparable to that of thunder when heard through the throbbing pain of a hangover. Right now Mercedes just didn't have the physical or emotional energy to keep up with her. "Can you please… just eat that more quietly, or better still, eat that someplace else!"

"Sure. This is your place, your rules!"

The response shocked Mercedes. Santana looked like the type of girl to be argumentative but she wasn't. She simply turned and walked back into the room where Puck was clearly still asleep. She also wondered how Puck had managed to land someone as hot as her. It was all too much for her to process in her current state and her stomach was started to churn. Rather than risk waking Sam she ran into the previously unused guest bathroom and dry heaved for several minutes, causing pain to again ricochet through her head and body. This was bad. This was _very_ bad. Returning to her room she assessed the situation. A handsome man in her bed, a strange naked woman in her suite that she didn't even have the strength to be stressed over and the hangover from hell. With all the weirdness there was no doubt that she was in Vegas right now.

Things were coming back to her slowly, but not fast enough for her liking. There was only one thing for it. She needed her friend. Silently grabbing her phone and tiptoeing past the bed so as to not wake Sam, she snuck into her bathroom and locked the door behind her. Heading for the farthest corner she sank to the floor with her back against the cool tiles of the wall. Looking at her call log she saw two calls made to Chang and Rutherford, the lawyers her father had recommended she use for the annulment. So at least she'd attempted to take some action. Memories were suddenly flooding back. She'd made an initial appointment then rescheduled it. Why did she reschedule?

She didn't know what made her do it but the next thing she did was open the picture gallery on her phone. Selfies of her posing in the outfit from the night before. . Pics of Sam and Puck. Then just Sam. Then selfies of her and Sam… laughing, hugging and in the final two they were definitely kissing.

She and Sam were kissing and she was taking selfies of it? What the hell had been happening between the supposed ending of their arrangement and them ending up on the couch and in bed together? Sex on the couch but in bed fully clothed? It made no sense at all!

There was only one person she needed right now and she hoped she was available. Luckily Quinn answered within three rings. She was unable to visit Artie at the spinal unit until the afternoon due to him having detailed assessments for most of the morning, so luckily she was free to talk and welcomed the distraction. Mercedes poured out everything, the conversation with Blaine, the flight back to Vegas and somewhere in the fog there were now memories of her kissing Sam just like she'd seen in her pictures. Why had she let that happen?

Quinn simply listened attentively as she barely paused for breath between words, "…And so now I'm just here hiding in the bathroom."

"Why are you hiding?"

"Sam's still asleep. I have no idea what to say to him when he wakes up. 'Sorry I had sex with you now let's go get this annulment?' How bitchy would that be!"

"Do you still want the annulment?"

She paused. "No."

Quinn was silent on the other end of the phone but Mercedes was sure that her friend was smiling. "You and Sam need to talk about this."

"There's nothing to talk about. This marriage is based on a mistake and I promised to end it. I can't go back on my word!"

"Even if you both want it?"

"It's too early to want anything like that. Besides, it's not about doing what I want, it's about doing the right thing."

"Doing the right thing for _who?"_

"I made a promise!"

"That doesn't answer the question!"

"Look Quinn, all I know is that the appointment to sign the annulment is rescheduled for 3pm tomorrow and we're going!"

Her friend tried to talk her round but there was no way she was going to give in. However she felt she had to do right by Sam.

And then there was something else. "Oh and who the fuck is Santana Lopez?"

"Santana? Puck ended up with _Santana?_" There was a short pause followed by hysterical laughter.

"What's so funny? She's strutting around the suite wearing only a cheese string thong, flashing her entirely hairless body like she owns the place! She even ordered Cheerios from room service! Cheerios! Who does that?"

Quinn just continues to laugh. "But Santana is... Oh shit I'll let Puck find out the hard way!"

"But is she okay to be up here?"

"Yeah she's good. I've stayed at her place a few times. She slaps _really _hard though."

"Slaps?"

The laughter came back. "We had a frenemy thing going on for a bit back in the day. But don't worry, she's good people. Just say hi to Britts for me."

"Britts?"

"You have a headache. It's _not_ worth explaining right now. Just watch it unravel and- BamBam NO! Put that DOWN! Where did you even find-" There was a pause, small crash and a child's wail. "Gotta go! This apartment isn't child proofed yet! Enjoy your day! Bye love!"

Ending the call Mercedes sighed and made her way back to the bedroom. Sam was stirring and reached out to her groggily. "Come back to bed Mercedes. This is a special day."

She wanted to refuse, she wanted to tell him this was a mistake, but all that happened was the deep timbre of his sleepy voice melted her insides and her legs unwittingly carried her over to the bed. Today _was_ going to be special. She just couldn't remember why.

Within seconds she was back under the covers and in his arms. Without a word he snuggled closer, his face in her neck similar to the ways he'd done as they'd watched the sun set at the Canyon. For all the strangeness and confusion, lying with him there felt nothing but right. How could that be?

As the snores resumed in her ear and her own mind rapidly drifted back to sleep, only one thought remained in her head. Not how she could end this strange relationship, but how she could keep it…

* * *

**_So what exactly happened? Dear reader, I know you're a confused as Mercedes right now, but as always there's a method to my madness so please bear with!_**

**_If I was naming my chapters this one would definitely be called The Hangover because of reasons..._****_._**

**_Missing section of Quincedes conversation now FIXED! Yes I'm a cruel tease but that's only because I luv ya and you all know what's coming!_**

**_Next chapter is Sam's POV, flashback to the previous day and plenty of long awaited juicy Samcedes interaction... _**


	11. Chapter 11

**_Why do you guys do this to me! I was happy living in my ignorant 'can't log into Tumblr and I'm sure Glee's probably on yet another hiatus' bliss until people start saying Samcedes is back! Then I open Pandora's box AKA check Tumblr on my phone (not recommended for the hate/autorotate messing up your scrolling/accidental following&unfollowing) and boom! Pics and clips and gifs and damn I'm sucked back! (Well sort of – I'm still not sure about how I feel about stuff like Glee doing The Happening after I used it in Familiar Faces. I hope I'm not going to have to rethink song choices!) But I will eventually update my Tumblr page with this fic when I work out how to log back into it from a computer…_**

**_For my fellow Brits, GleeksWorld on Youtube puts up whole episodes scene by scene which is how I got to watch the relevant parts (who knows if or when Glee's coming to the UK and even if it does I have NO intention of sitting through an entire episode ever again). Anyway, you'll see by this chapter that I just had to take teeny tiny bit and mash it in as I always do!_**

**_So anyway, as Mercedes sleeps off her hangover, let's go back and find out what actually happened…_**

**_Major long chapter that I won't get time to read over until tonight so please excuse the multitude of errors! I just wanted to get it posted as it's been a while!_**

* * *

**Bellagio Hotel**

**Presidential Suite**

"Well it looks like someone had a good trip!"

Sam had been lost in his thoughts and nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight of Puck leaving the other bedroom. "Hey! When did you get back?"

Puck shrugged. "About an hour ago." He nodded to the bedroom, "Just came back for a shit, shave and shower. Puckasaurus has big plans for today!"

"Yeah I noticed you didn't come back last night!"

"Really? Looks like you and the _wifey_ were too busy celebrating your honeymoon to notice my comings and goings!"

Sam blushed. "We weren't- I mean she's not even here!"

"She's not?"

"Her dad got sick so she flew home."

"Oh that's rough."

"Yeah but it turns out he's okay so she'll be back in a few hours."

Puck stared at him hard. "So why were you in there? We both know that room's out of bounds!"

Sam's expression said it all and his friend wasn't going to let it pass. "Shit Sam- you were _missing_ her!"

"I wasn't-"

"Don't lie. You were doing the whole sniffing sheets and snuggling thing weren't you! You're such a fucking romantic!"

"It's not-"

"Of course it is! I know you Sam! I know how you've been looking at her!"

"Sure she's hot-"

Puck exhaled loudly, glanced at his watch then pushed Sam down to sit on the couch. "I'm your bro Sam, I know how you work. I knew you would fail at the plan but I didn't know you'd fail this badly. You only had one thing to do on this trip, _one_! That was to find a girl who looked nothing like that bitch Kitty and bang her til you get that waste of space out of your system once and for all!"

"Puck-"

"But _no_! Sam Evans can never follow through! He finds the girl who is everything Kitty dreams she could be and then some, but you can't just bang her and run!"

"Quit being Barney Stinson. And I didn't bang Mercedes!"

"Not even when you went away?"

"No."

Puck stared at him hard. "Shit! This is far worse than I thought! You're really into Mercedes! Dude you're falling for your wife!"

"I just-"

"Don't lie Sam! I can tell by that huge shit eating grin on your face as you think about her."

"Okay so maybe spending time with her-"

"It's a bad idea Sam. She's gorgeous but you're setting yourself up for a fall."

"Why? Why is it such a bad idea?"

"Because..." Puck seemed to struggle to find the words. "Because you're my friend, you've just been hurt and I don't want to see you hurt again over a holiday fling!"

"But what if it's more than that?"

"You said you didn't bang her!"

"Quit using that word!" He looked down at his hands, "Mercedes and I... we connect. I can't explain it but there's something. She's not Kitty, I know that and I'm glad. She's more than my ex. She's everything I thought I would be happy to settle and live without. It's only been a couple of days but- look I don't expect you to understand Puck."

Puck continued to look at him and remained uncharacteristically quiet. "And what about Mercedes? She's a tough nut to crack just like her friend."

"Yeah but she's gooey soft in the center. I think there's something there. She's not completely shutting me out."

"So why don't you go for it? You were alone together, I'm sure you had chances!"

Sam thought back to the bed and the chocolates. There was no way he was going to give Puck any details about that! Instead he gave the edited version. "Yeah there was a chance and she probably would have gone for it, but..."

"But what?"

Sam shrugged and it dawned on his friend what was going on. "Shit! You stopped yourself _because_ you liked her!" Sam simply avoided his gaze. "Okay I don't really know what to say man. She's a great girl and I wish you luck, just don't get hurt again okay? After what that bitch put you through I don't think you could take it."

"Yeah I know."

"You gonna tell her?"

"As soon as she gets back."

Puck leaned forward and squeezed his shoulder. "Well if it doesn't work out, just give me a holler. I've been hanging out with some of the girls from Coyote Beautiful and there's plenty to go round and take your mind off your obsessive compulsive falling in love!"

Before Sam could respond to his friend's painful truth, the mohawked one headed for the door. "Just text me if Pretty Mamma doesn't get back in time and you want to come hang out with us! Oh and by the way, there's a full box of condoms on the dresser. Be safe man!"

Without waiting for a reply he was gone.

Sam exhaled slowly. Lots of people failed to understand why he got on so well with Puck, but the truth was that his friend could read him like a book. He acted as if he didn't care but deep down he always did. He'd been ready to hunt Kitty down after hearing of her disappearance. That was the type of man he was, playful playboy on the outside, but intuitive loyal friend deep down.

He stayed seated for a couple of minutes digesting his friend's words before getting up and reaching for his phone. If there were no further messages from Mercedes he would make his daily call to check his account status...

* * *

**Five hours later…**

Something was wrong but he couldn't put his finger on it. The way she'd run straight into his arms at the airport told him what he was feeling definitely wasn't one sides, and the fact that she'd melted into him and lingered in the embrace was enough for him to know once and for all what he needed to do.

But as they walked together towards the taxi line he felt a shift. Suddenly her body was stiff and she was putting a distance between them. It continued on the ride back to the hotel when she'd barely spoken a word and definitely avoided eye contact with him. It was sudden and it didn't make any sense. Why pull away after they'd grown so close. Had she felt him stirring while they embraced? He didn't think so.

"What happened to your overnight bag from the Canyon trip?" He watched as she sped towards her room the moment they walked in through the door under the guise of needing to put her purse down.

"I left it behind. He gave me a ride back to the airport straight after we'd eaten."

"_He?_" Sam tried to keep his tone flat and unemotional but he was pretty sure he totally failed on that count. "Noooo! My dad took me out for brunch. We- wait, did you think I was with…"

"You said you'd messed up and we needed to talk. Then you suddenly pulled away and…"

Mercedes shook her head at him sadly. "No. It's not like that. I just need to be straight with you, that's all." She pinched the bridge of her nose and bowed her head for a moment. "I just- I just need some caffeine and some painkillers and to take off these damn shoes."

Her reply didn't help. Knowing he wasn't going to get anything until she was ready to give he bit back his words. "You just go ahead and get settled and I'll put some coffee on. I could do with some myself. There's something I need to talk to you about too but you need to go first and say your piece."

Sam watched her disappear and kicked himself. Whatever she was going to say he needed to stay cool. As he made their drinks he got to thinking about how he was going to say what he needed to say without scaring her off. She returned a few minutes later, bare footed and bare faced. Without any makeup he skin was still smooth and flawless and she looked even younger. She shot him a sad smile and headed to the couch. He followed her and silently handed over her drink. They sat without a sound for a couple of minutes while they waited for their coffees to cool down enough to sip. He longed to touch her but knew that was the worst thing he could do right now. Something told him she'd probably completely recoil at his touch.

"Sam, I've made us an appointment at a local law office at six."

"Why?"

"Because this marriage was a mistake and we have to get it annulled today-"

"What-"

"Sam please let me finish. The reason I suggested this marriage, the reason I took us both down this path is no longer valid. It would be wrong of me to keep you tied up any longer that I have to."

"So that's it? We just finish this today? What about the guy you're supposed to marry? Are you going to go through with it after all?"

"No no! I… It was a mistake. Apparently I took the whole thing too seriously and acted without asking questions. The guy, Leo, is already engaged."

He took a moment to process. "So you're saying we don't need to be married. We never needed to get married in the first place?"

She shook her head. "No. The mistake was mine. I foolishly jumped to a conclusion. I shouldn't have dragged you into this and it's not fair to keep up the pretense any longer. This was all just me acting out, living out the teenage rebellion I never had the courage to actually do all those years ago."

"I don't get it!"

"It's simple Sam! I _used _you! I dragged you into something that I shouldn't have. I made you have drama with your family! I made you get stick from your friends! I need to fix this mess stat! The paperwork's been drawn up by some lawyers my dad knows, and obviously you'll be compensated for-"

"_Compensated! I don't want your money!_"

"It's not my money!"

"Then who the fuck's is it?"

She reached down and placed her coffee mug on the floor. He was starting to get mad, but one look into her huge tear filled eyes totally erased that. She looked down at her ring and fiddled with it nervously. "Sam, I need tell you everything and I need you to not interrupt and just let me finish, can you do that?"

A lump started to form in his chest. This was the weirdest turn of events but he had to let her follow through. He had a sneaking suspicion that how he handled this would determine how the rest of their relationship would go. "Okay, go ahead. I'm listening."

She nodded and took a deep breath. "Okay I need to start from the beginning. Have you heard of a man called Blaine Anderson?"

"Sure I have. Lots of my clients post their work on multiple platforms and we always make sure that their artwork is formatted to be compatible with his e-readers as well as the Kindles of this world."

"Shit! That make this even harder!"

"Makes _what _even harder?"

She glared at him for interrupting. "Blaine Anderson… Blaine Anderson is my adopted father…"

Sam was speechless. He sat open jawed as she explained her life and how she felt she owed the man who had given her everything and more. She spoke about how she loved him but how she needed her own independence in order to thrive. She didn't belong in his world and only attended functions that required her presence, those usually being ones who knew the family such as the Sanders'. It was a fact hidden in plain sight. Very few people knew of their connection, especially as most of her childhood was spent away at boarding school, but it was there. Some people saw Blaine simply as a benefactor but she explained that their relationship was much closer. Pulling out her phone she showed him how a couple of clever Google searches proved who she was, but only one link actually had her picture and it was years old.

She explained how Blaine and Sander's had come up with the idea of her marrying Leo and having a son to inherit. To anyone else it would sound like a joke, but to men of their generation and caliber, agreements still went on behind closed doors the old fashioned way. And to top it off she would have done it for him if she could have, but the discovery that she just couldn't bring herself made her cling to the idea of putting herself into a situation where she was forced to not be able to go through with it. Her intention had been to annoy her father over it and force him to find a more modern solution. The drama of thinking she'd physically hurt him and caused him was too much for her to bear, especially when she had been so wrong and the wheels were already in motion _without _involving her relationship status. Knowing that she hadn't made him sick didn't really lessen the pain. Their talk over Dim Sum had made her realize that she'd been playing with fire and needed to douse it before the flames got out of control. She had mad made a promise to her father that she would fix this as soon as possible and there was no way she wasn't going to honor it. She was in Vegas for a week and Sam had ten days. Obviously he could keep the suite for the whole ten days as part of his compensation, but she had a real grown up life to get back to and making one bad decision wasn't going to stop that.

By the time she was finished her head was down and she was wringing her hands. Gently Sam lifted her chin until she was staring back at him. "Are you done?"

"Yeah I guess so."

"So now it's my turn to counter your argument?"

She immediately frowned. "Counter?"

"You kept a lot hidden from me Mercedes. I get that you didn't want to let on that your dad was rich, but I swear I never would have taken advantage of that. What kind of future millonairess even keeps Ziploc bags in her purse anyway!"

"But-"

"Shhh!" He placed his forefinger against her lips and pretended he didn't wish it was his lips there instead. "My turn to speak without interruption. First of all you're wrong about me being forced into anything. I did this willingly and you know that. Second, there will be no financial compensation. More than enough money has been spent on me and that stops today. If you think you can simply buy me off you have another thing coming. Third, I'm not coming with you to sign the forms for the annulment. You may have made your dad a promise but you also made me one too. You said a week of marriage and I'm going to stand my ground and hold you to that."

"Sam please don't make this any harder than it already is!"

"I'm not, you are!"

"How is this my fault. I've owned up to my mistake and I'm fixing it!"

"No Mercedes. It's not quite that straight forward. You're not the only one with something to say here this afternoon. I just did the manly thing and let you go first." She frowned but let him continue. "So basically it all comes down to this." This was his moment. The chances are with this new development that he would fall flat on his face, but he had to at least try or end up living with a lifetime of regret. He reached for her hand and took it gently in his. Yep, the tingles were definitely still there. It was now or never. Mercedes immediately tried to pull her hand away but he gripped it tighter. "What are you doing Mercedes?"

"I'm…" She avoided his stare again, "You don't need to do that."

"Do what? Touch you? That's because you're feeling it too right?"

"Feeling what?"

He watched her shudder as he bushed his thumb along the back of their entwined fingers. She was already distracted by the way their legs were pressed together as they sat, it was distracting enough to _him _too, but this wasn't going to end the same way as it had the last time. Reaching forward he again tilted her chin up so that she looked at him as he moved his face closer. "_This! _Shy smiles, lingering hugs, caught sideways glances…" As he spoke his face moved closer and he heard the way she inhaled sharply through her nose but for once didn't pull back. He was close now, so close. "And those chocolates! Sharing a bed, sharing chocolates, caramel on your lips… Sweet fucking caramel…" Suddenly the gap was gone and his lips brushed hers, gently, just like the kiss during the ceremony, only this time she responded, pressing closer, focusing on his bottom lip until his opened for her to make a welcome invasion.

He had expected her to kiss him back but not with so much instant passion. His hand moved from her chin to caress her cheek then to the back of her head, holding her gently in place as he matched her pace and fervor.

He stared at her breathlessly for a moment. "And by _this _I was clearly meaning our obvious sexual chemistry!"

She pulled back. "I'm sorry!"

"Why? I'm not. I've wanted to do that since… hmmm… about two seconds after our first kiss."

"I shouldn't have. I can't! We have an appointment in-"

"Cancel it!"

"What?"

"I said cancel it!"

"I can't Sam! I made a promise to end this today and I have to!"

"Then I'm not coming with you!"

"Please don't make this difficult Sam!"

"It already is! _This _whatever this is, was never supposed to happen!"

"But I made my father a promise…"

"And you had an agreement with me too. One week of marriage. Not a day more, not a day less."

"But I'm only here for seven days!"

"So it lasts up until you leave."

"That's in two days! I can't do that!"

"Yes you can! You have to!"

"I promised-"

"Somebody's promise is going to have to be broken! Either yours or mine!"

"Sam-"

"I'm serious!" The frustration was clear in his voice. Kissing her was far better than he had fantasized it would be and he fully intended to do it over and over again.

"There has to be a way past this despite how we might feel. I can't stay married to you forever. You're going back to your life in LA and I'm going back to San Francisco. You're younger than me for heaven's sake! Trying to hold onto this is stupid!"

"Maybe it is!" He pulled back and ran his hand through his hair aggressively, trying hard to temper his frustration as an idea came into his head. "But what if we come to some kind of compromise."

"Compromise?"

"Something that gives us all a little of what we want."

"I'm listening. You have to end this, I understand that, but this chemistry is too good to waste. I'll agree to come and do the annulment with you one day early if... If we spend the remaining time properly married."

"Properly married?"

"Yep. The works. I'm not ready to give you up just yet, and if we'd met any other way I wouldn't have to. This trip is about both of us letting loose and having fun. For lots of people that includes having a fling. Ordinarily I wouldn't go for that kind of thing, that's definitely Puck's speciality, but in this case there is already insane chemistry and as we are actually married there's nothing to stop us."

"We can't just-"

"Mercedes, I want to kiss you again. You can't deny we've had a good time together but its been on your terms. I want to turn the tables now. I spoke to my bank and they've released my funds. I want to do Vegas the proper way. We're both here to have fun so let's do it, together. We may only have a day and a half left of this marriage but there's no reason why we can't really live it! I want to walk through casinos, eat meals and watch shows and so do you, but deep down neither of us want to do it alone. You don't have Quinn anymore and Puck is out sniffing out some piece of skirt." He grabbed her hands entwining the fingers again as his idea began to flow. "We're not cancelling the annullment, we're just postponing it. We've got a great set up right now and we should make the most of it!"

"I didn't come out here for a fling Sam!"

"And neither did I. We're just two people who deserve some happiness and we can make each other happy. The last few days have proved that. Grand Canyon was one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and being there with you is what made it extra special." Her resistance was lowering, he could sense it, so he went in for the hard kill. Leaning forward again and stroking her cheek gently with his thumb, he lowered his voice went straight for the heart. "Just give me a chance Mercedes, one chance to prove that being married to me can be something special. Kitty took that away from me and I may never get it back. I don't care how rich your dad is, I don't want any financial compensation, all I want is some magical company with a woman who makes me feel alive. All I want is for a day and a half of escapism and happiness. All I want is a day and a half of feeling like someone is with me because they want to be with me. Can you do that Mercedes? Can you do that for me?"

He looked at her eyes and they were shiny with tears. Yes it was emotional blackmail. But it was also the truth, a truth that he had thought he would never dare to speak. She stared back at him before nodding.

It seemed too good to be true. "Yes?"

She leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "Yes. I- I like being with you Sam. A little longer won't hurt. But if we're going to do this we need to set boundaries."

The word was like a cold wet blanket. "Of course..."

"We can be a couple in most senses of the word, but I draw the line at sex. I'm not that kind of girl and I don't sleep around."

"I understand."

"Do you?"

"I've been nothing but a gentleman up until now. We even shared a bed together with no funny business despite the temptation what makes you think that'll suddenly change?"

"I know. I'm just saying. You're right there is _this… _weird sexual chemistry when we touch."

"Relax and don't overthink it. We're just two people making the most of their holiday. Then when it's over we sign a form, our marriage never happen and we downgrade our relationship to just friends."

"Friends with sexual chemistry?"

"I think the distance will make that one easier to handle." The distance was something he wasn't looking forward to, but he wasn't going to worry about that just yet. "But for now, let's just live a little." He knew it was something everyone always said to her and he knew that phrase would resonate. That sentence was her trigger.

Mercedes sat quietly for a moment, staring at him searchingly before suddenly leaping up and running into her room. He called after her but she ignored him. Seconds later she returned clutching her phone and a business card. She resumed her seat on the couch this time snuggling a little closer to him. She showed him the card before punching in the number, saving the contact then making the call. The card was thick, embossed and looked expensive. It bore the names Chang and Rutherford legal advisors. "Dad will be upset but he'll pull through." Once the call had connected and she'd been put through to Matthew Rutherford himself, she apologized for the short notice cancellation and rescheduled for the day after tomorrow. Then she smiled at him and gave him a small peck on the cheek.

"So wife, what's the first thing you want to do?"

She shrugged before breaking into a yawn. "I still have my headache and with all our talking I barely slept last night. Right now all I need is a nap, then maybe we can go out for a meal."

"That's cool." She went to stand but he pulled her back. "No need to nap in your room." He took one of the cushions from the couch and placed it on his lap and tapped it gently. "Just put your feet up on the couch and nap here. This has to be ten times more cozy than your cold bed right now."

"Sam!"

He simply grinned and wagged his eyebrows, knowing damn well that it made him look cute and adorable. Mercedes Jones was not going to hold the monopoly on adorable on his watch. He observed her face as she clearly thought about it then smiled shyly as she gave in. "There you go. We can nap together."

Without further hesitation she curled up on the couch, her head on the cushion in his lap, and within moments he joined her in her slumber.

* * *

**Cheesecake Factory**

**Las Vegas Bulevard**

"I still don't understand how we're in a city of infinite dining options, yet you choose to eat in the Cheesecake Factory."

"It's not exactly classy!"

"I've never pretended to be classy Sam. I just like food. And my butt wouldn't be the size it is without the generous sized slices of cheesecake on ready supply here."

"In that case I'll order us another piece to share!" He winked at her.

"Sam! Are you trying to say you like that I have a big butt?"

"He shrugged. "Well I gess my middle name isn't Sir Mix-A-Lot for nothin'."

"Sam you're crazy!"

_Crazy about you! _He caught himself just in time from saying the words aloud. Mercedes simply looked at him and smiled. "I love this. It's so relaxed and... And nice. It sort of feels like a relaxed date."

"And is that a good or a bad thing?"

"Oh definitely good!" She's freshened up after their nap and come out in a sexy sweater dress that fell above the knee and did all sorts of things to him. Her phone began to chime and she apologized as she hurriedly looked to see who was calling. "It's Quinn, I should take this."

After a few minutes Sam started to worry, but the worry eased as she returned shortly after, bearing a huge smile and a bottle of champagne. "I hope you don't mind me buying this but we're celebrating."

"What are we celebrating?"

"Artie's awake and he can wiggle the toes on his left foot."

"That's amazing."

"I know. Quinn's with him now and she wants us to celebrate on her behalf."

"That we can definitely do. I hope she's having something herself?"

Mercedes shook her head. "He had no memory of the accident. Tomorrow they're going to have to tell him that two of his closest friends didn't make it." They sat silently for a moment before she spoke up again. "But we're not dwelling on tomorrow, we're dwelling on today. We're dwelling on tonight! Quinn gave me strict instructions to party for both of us tonight and report back to her tomorrow with pictures so let's do this! Pulling out her phone she took a selfie of herself and the champagne bottle before handing it to Sam to open and pouring champagne into both their glasses. "To life!"

"To life!"

They clinked glassed and sipped the champagne.

"To wiggling toes!"

"To wiggling toes!"

Clink!

"To hospital food."

"To hospital food!"

Clink!

"To marriage!"

"To marriage!"

They continued with the silly toasts until the bubbles started to reach Mercedes' head and the waitress passed for the umpteenth time, clearly wanting to clear their table.

"Mean bitch! She's no fun!" Mercedes felt herself slurring slightly but it was all part of the fun of the night. She was with Sam so she knew she'd be safe. "Quinn likes shots! Next place we pass we have to do shots!"

* * *

**Mitch's Bar**

**Las Vegas Boulevard**

"Whoooo!" Mercedes raised her glass high in the air before knocking the bright pink liquid back in one go. "To men in uniform!"

Sam simply nodded but didn't feel he could really drink to that one. Mercedes spluttered slightly. "Yuck! It that was supposed to taste like pink grapefruit, then I'm a-"

"To a brighter future and early retirement."

"Hell yes to early retirement! I'll drink to that!" She held up a shot of clear liquid. "This one is supposed to be a mystery. Let's have half each and see if we come up with the same answer!"

She took a large sip and winced as she passed the glass to Sam who finished it off.

"Banana!"  
"Strawberry!"

They both laughed. "How the hell can it taste so different to each of us? Bananas and strawberries are nothing like each other! We need to move on from this place and find some place else. Some place with music…"

* * *

**Dueling Pianos**

**Las Vegas Boulevard**

It was packed and there was no way they were going to get a table but Mercedes clearly didn't care. Sam watched her with a fond smile as she stood propped up against the wall, swaying slightly to the music and singing along to Billy Joel's 'The Piano Man'. He stood beside her, mesmerized by her voice.

"I didn't know you could sing!"

"You never asked!"

Their conversation was shouting rather than talking due to the loudness of the bar but it still felt intimate. Something buzzed in his pocket and he pulled out his phone to see Puck calling. There was too much of a crowd to step outside so he answered it where he was. "What? You want to bring someone to the suite? You have to ask Mercedes that! Hold on I'll put you over to her!" He handed her the phone but she looked worse for wear. Somehow she managed to hold a conversation for five minutes which consisted of the words 'huh?', 'what?' and 'yeah whatever' before handing it back to him.

By the time she was done it was even louder, with the entire packed audience singing along to Don McLean's American Pie (The Day The Music Died). The players were taking requests from the audience and no sooner had that song finished than they launched into The Eagle's Hotel California.

Mercedes continued to rock as she sang along, before pulling out her phone and grabbing him, pulling his face close to hers to take another picture. "This is the best night ever! I have to remember it!"

"Not if you keep drinking at that rate!" He looked down at her nearly finished cocktail and she cast him a look as if he were the destroyer of all things fun in the world.

Thankfully the night was coming to it's own natural end. The piano players took their final request then one of them stood, announced that it was his wife's birthday, her name was Iris and the final song of the night was dedicated to her and all the other married couples and lovers in the audience.

_And I'd give up forever to touch you  
Coz I know that you feel me somehow  
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be  
And I don't want to go home right now_

_And all I can taste is this moment  
And all I can breathe is your life  
Coz sooner or later it's over  
I just don't want to miss you tonight_

She was taking selfies again. This time she pulled him down to her height so she could take a pic of herself kissing his cheek. His head turned and suddenly their lips met. So many other couples in the audience were also kissing but they were all on the periphery of his consciousness. The only important thing was Mercedes and the fact that she'd kissed him.

Of her own initiative.

In public.

And it was a glorious, if slightly alcoholic kiss. A kiss that might well have had to last him a lifetime.

* * *

"Shit!" The noise inside the bar had completely hidden the fact that it was raining outside. As the crowd filtered through the doors he knew that there wasn't a hope in hell of them getting a taxi. Luckily they were only across the street from the Bellagio. Unfortunately, distances were deceptively long in Vegas due to the sheer size of the venues. "Mercedes, it looks like we're going to have to run!"

"But my hair will get wet!"

"So will mine!"

The glare she shot him made him realize she may not have been quite as drunk as he first thought. But there was no other option. After waiting for her to put her hair up in a bun and wrap it in some sort of scarf come hankerchief creation that was in the bottom of her bag 'for emergencies' she finally allowed him to grab her hand and they ran through what had thankfully turned into a light drizzle.

* * *

**Bellagio Hotel**

**Presidential Suite**

It was another ten minutes from foyer to room but it was still worth it. The alcohol was definitely in Mercedes' system because it made her more clumsy and affected her co-ordination together with her uncontrollable giggles. But there was something about being with her in that moment that made him feel real. That made him feel _alive. _After all, this night was about celebration of life.

The alcohol flowed through his body too and all it did was make him want to kiss her at every opportunity, boundaries be damned. This had turned into a friendship where he wanted _all _the benefits, and if the deep uninhibited kisses they laid on each other on the elevator on the way back up to the suite were anything to go by, he wasn't the only one feeling that way.

Once they walked through the door of the suite, the air started to fill with tension. Mercedes looked at the door to her bedroom, then the door to Sam's room, then the couch before a wicked grin began to form and she pulled out her phone.

Sam eyed her. "What are you planning?"

"Huh? I just need to check something out." She pulled out her phone again and stumbled slightly as she made her way over to the couch. "Sam can you be a love and get me a glass of juice. I'm going to have one hell of a hangover in the morning!"

"That makes two of us," he grinned as he raided the contents of the fridge. Making his way over to her with two full glasses he watched as she intently scrolled through her screen. "Looking up something interesting?"

"Uh huh."

"Care to share?"

She took the glass from him and downed the contents without pausing, her eyes never leaving his. It was a smouldering sexy look. "Aaahhh… I needed that for _lubrication!_"

_Now why did she have to go and use a word like that while sat in front of him looking all sexy and shit?_

"Lube-"

"For my mouth Sam. Were you thinking of other places?" She'd put her glass down and was inching slowly towards him, "Because my other places already have enough lubrication all on their own." She giggled as she brought her face to his but instead of kissing him she rubbed their noses together and giggled at the cuteness of it. "You're so cute Sam. Did I tell you that yet?"

Sam swallowed loudly. His body was finding it less cute and more something else. He quickly reminded himself that she was drunk, hell they both were, and they _weren't going to go there… _Using all his strength he pulled back even though it was the complete opposite of what he wanted to do right now. Luckily she pulled back first and sat back, resuming her scrolling with her phone. "You know, Google is such an amazing resource! How the hell did people manage in the days before it?"

"I don't know. What're you looking for?"

"Legal advice." She stared intently at the screen again, looking extremely sober.

"Why do you need legal-"

She held her hand up to stop him from speaking as she continued to read. "Just one last site to confirm my suspicions then I'm done."

He waited what felt like an impossibly long time, even though the reality was only a couple of seconds before she tossed the phone down with a smile. "Just as I thought, it's still possible to annul this marriage on other grounds, even if we consummate it."

_Whoa! _"If we consummate-"

"Fuck the boundaries Sam, I want this!"

"Wha-"

He didn't even have a chance to react before she literally hurled herself at him, kissing him fiercely. It was like someone had lit a match between them and he was more than happy to let himself get burned! With Kitty, he had almost always been the initiator of intimacy and it was more than flattering to have a woman jump his bones. Having this woman being the aggressor was sexy as hell and for a moment he allowed himself to lie back, with her on top of him, enjoying the feeling as she settled himself between his legs, kissing him hungrily and roving her hands up and down his body.

But he just had to check one last time. Pulling his head back and releasing her already kiss swollen lips with a soft smack he looked into her eyes. "Are you sure?" If she was too drunk he couldn't go through with this. She'd had more alcohol and less food than him.

She released an annoyed sigh. "Let's make the most of this. I know what I'm doing."

And she did. There may have been alcohol in her system but she'd been sober enough to go online and check if this was an okay thing to do. And _she _had been the one to jump his bones, not vice versa!

"No more talking Sam!"

He was happy with that suggestion, returning to the heavy makeout session. He got to know and understand the full makeup of her lips and the heat of her mouth. His hands went to her bountiful ass in a mirror of what she was already doing to him. With her lying between his legs there was no way of him hiding his arousal and she was already grinding herself against it, making it impossible for him to think straight.

"Gorgeous…" He removed his hand from her ass and ran it slowly up her thigh and underneath the hem of her dress, slowly inching his way up until he reached the edge of her panties and popped her ass gently, making her giggle.

"You like?"

"Uh huh…" He slipped his hand underneath her panties to grip her properly and laughed at her gasp as he gave her a squeeze. Her kisses dropped to his neck as he palmed her ass under her panties and he let out his own moan of satisfaction. She was so responsive to his touch, but he was getting nothing from being in this position.

"Let me see you Mercedes." With a speed and agility that he knew shocked her he gripped her tightly and flipped them so that she was underneath and he lay between her legs. "Don't worry, you can go back on top soon," he reassured her. This was a much better position for him. Kissing his way down her jaw and shoulder her gripped one of the straps of her dress and tugged it down over her shoulder with his teeth, exposing her bra and more succulent flesh that he fell upon like a famished man. His hands again ran up her thighs, pulling her dress up around her waist. Her response was to push her core up against him even more. This was killing him and they hadn't even started yet!

Trailing kisses back up her shoulder her used his teeth to drag down her bra strap, partially exposing a pool of flesh now that she was lying on her back. It was soft and it was sweet and it was everything he'd dreamed of for the last couple of days. It was a dilemma but a pleasurable one. Which place to touch first? Bringing his hand from under her dress he tugged the bra cup down to fully expose her breast, immediately latching onto the hardened nipple and enjoying her sighs of pleasure as he flicked his tongue over it. Mission accomplished his hand returned to underneath her dress with a new purpose. She hadn't lied about the lubrication. He could feel the dampness of her panties as he teased the little nub of her clit through the fabric.

"Don't tease…" She threw her leg over his waist to open herself up underneath him and he used the opportunity to slip his hand into her panties and touch her properly. She was hot and she was sticky and it was all for him. Without wasting any time he inserted a finger and she immediately arched back, whimpering in pleasure and pressing herself firmer against his hand, bucking slightly as he began to move it inside her.

"Yes…" He sucked harder at her neck, knowing he was going to leave a mark as her excitement let him to insert a second finger and begin to pump then in and out, his palm getting sticky as she began to ride his hand.

He brought his lips back to hers. "You like that baby? You gonna come for me?"

Her response was a sensual moan as ran her hand through his hair, her nails scraping his scalp as he let his fingers do what another part of his body was desperate to be doing. Using his thumb he worked her clit as he continued to pleasure her, feeling her breathing change against his cheek to fast pants of rising satisfaction.

"Yes! Like that!" He knew the moment he hit her spot, and now that he knew what he was aiming for he fully intented to break her, quickening the pace and burying his fingers to the hilt, curving them slightly. She was a beautiful sight, her eyes shut tight and her forehead creased in a frown of concentrated pleasure. He felt the change as she began to quiver and kissed her lips again as she tightened round his fingers, swallowing her moan as she finally came with a shudder.

With a smile he removed his wet sticky fingers and brought them to his mouth, taking in her unique taste and familiarizing himself with it. The smile turned into a grin as he caught her glazed eyes watching him. "You taste so good baby. I can't wait to eat you properly."

"Not yet," she'd already started to recover and was reaching for his zipper, "I need you inside me!"

_Thank the lord for Puck leaving out those condoms!_

"Hold that thought! Puck definitely has his uses!"

She grinned, totally understanding his meaning. "Hurry back, I'll be waiting!"

It was hard to tear himself away. She was lying there with one breast out, her dress around her waist and her hand buried in her panties, clearly teasing herself in preparation for the main event. He literally ran into the other room and was relieved to find the box easily. Grabbing a small handful he ran back to where Mercedes was now playing with her exposed breast with one hand while working hard inside her panties with the other. It was a sight he wanted to record in his brain forever. Tossing the condoms on the couch he immediately ripped the foil on one with his teeth.

"Here, let me." He'd barely stood in front of her before she sat up and reached again for his zipper. Pulling down his pants and boxers she let out a growl of pleasure when she saw his exposed length the bulging tip leaking precum. She teased him, taking the condom from his hand, leaning forward, running her tongue underneath his length from base to tip before swirling her rough tongue over his tip and making him shudder. If she took him into her mouth he would die, but he wanted to be buried inside her too. She made the decision, placing the condom on his tip and carefully rolling it down his length.

"Sit!" Suddenly she was back in control. Knowing it was in his best interest to obey, he sat and she immediately straddled him, staring straight into his eyes as she took him into her hand, lined him up and immediately sank down on his length with a hiss, not even bothering to take her panties off first.

"Fuck!" She felt so good around him, hot and tight and _oh lord she's moving already! _If she was determined to break him she was going to win because bouncing up and down on him with her titties in his face like that was the fastest way to send him straight to _dead! _Grabbing her head he kissed her hard, his tongue plunging into her mouth the way that her body was plunging onto him. Within moments he needed to regain control. Grabbing her by the waist he flipped them again, only to catch a movement by the door with the corner of his eyes.

Too late! In slow motion he saw Puck walking into the suite with a brunette.

"Shit!"  
"Shit!" Both their voices rang out at the same time. Puck from shock and Sam from embarrassment. The brunette just grinned like she was enjoying the view. Immediately he pulled out causing Mercedes to open her eyes and scream at the sight of intruders.

It was chaos. Instantly soft, Sam yanked up his pants while Mercedes pulled her dress back up her shoulder and pulled down her skirt.

"Wanky!" The brunette was the first to speak, clearly enjoying what she was seeing far too much. "Don't mind us, we didn't mean to interrupt!"

Sam glared at his friend. "I thought you weren't coming back tonight!"

"I told you I was! I called and asked if I could bring Santana and you put me over to Mercedes! We're a bit earlier than I planned but I didn't know you'd be getting it in the lounge rather than the bedroom. Dude you should have left a sock on the door or something!"

Mercedes sniggered which turned into a giggle which became a snort and then a belly laugh. Clearly the excess of alcohol combined with embarrassment translated themselves into hysteria for her. He was too embarrassed to think straight. Buttoning his shirt as fast as he could he could have kicked himself for exposing them like this. Mercedes would kill him when she was sober! He turned to her. "Come on, let's get out of here." He held out his hand and she allowed him to help her up. Her attempt at walking just caused her to double up with laughter so he scooped her up into his arms before turning to his audience who were still looking at him with confused expressions. "Goodnight guys!"

Mercedes was still giggling as he carried her into her bedroom and laid her onto her bed. "I can't believe we got caught _doing it _on the couch!"

He looked down at her. "I know, I'm sorry. Do you mind if I stay in here tonight. Puck's not exactly going to want me in the other room when he'd doing entertaining of his own…"

"Sure. No problem. It's not like we haven't already shared a bed this trip."

"Cool. I just need to use the bathroom real quick!" The condom was still on inside his pants and he needed to sort himself out, stat!

By the time he stepped out of the bathroom she was in exactly the same position on the bed but fast asleep. She hadn't moved an inch. Rather than waking her he simply turned down the covers and put her inside the bed. He then checked the coast was clear before returning to the lounge and retrieving the rest of the condoms from the couch and Mercedes' phone which he put on the charger on the dresser next to her. His charger was in the other room but he could use hers in the morning.

Suddenly feeling tired himself he couldn't be bothered to go back into the bathroom to prepare for bed so he simply climbed in beside Mercedes fully clothed so that she wouldn't be on her own in that state in the morning. He was tired but also buzzed as he took in in her sleeping form and thought back to her sighs of pleasure and ecstasy.

Sam smiled down at her neatly tucked in under the covers, amazed at how quickly watching Mercedes Jones sleep had now become his favorite pastime...

* * *

**_I hadn't set out for this chapter to be such a long one but I didn't want to leave anything from the last chapter unresolved. Hope it was worth it! Will remove errors later!_**


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